Joys of Parenthood
by TheRealQueenB
Summary: Sequel to Oh Baby. Domestic fluff, mpreg, Turtlecest
1. Chapter 1

"Mikey!"

Michelangelo chuckled and scooped up the happy toddler when Elia ran at him as soon as he opened the door.

"Oof, you're getting really heavy!" He joked, enduring the affectionate nuzzle from her.

Kion chuckled as he stepped in, taking his daughter from him. Both of them wore jackets to bear the cold temperature outside. It was rather warm, considering it was December, but in this dimension that's as cold as it would get.

They didn't celebrate Christmas here, which was lame in Mikey's eyes. However, they had to adapt. This was their home now, after Splinter had been killed... after April had betrayed them.

Shaking his head to clear it from the dark thoughts, Mikey led his guests to the living room. Despite being used to way colder temperatures, the sea-green turtle wore a knitted sweater. Raph had made it while Mikey had been working on the caps for their babies, and all of his mates insisted he wore it, so he wouldn't get sick.

They settled down on the couch, Elia already tackling the cookies on the table with a happy squeal. With her big brown eyes she looked at Mikey's middle, a confused frown on her face.

"Where's the babies?" She asked, poking Mike's flat stomach. He laughed along with Kion.

"They're sleeping upstairs, sweetie. When they wake up you can meet them." He turned on some kids show on the television on low volume to distract her for now and leaned back on the couch with a sigh.

"So how's it going? Tired?" Kion grinned at him knowingly.

"Yes. Every hour at least one of them wakes up. It's a vicious cycle..." Mikey chuckled. "The guys are doing what they can though. They take turns getting up, depending on how many of them wake up."

"Yeah, Elia was a handful... I can't imagine having three of them."

"It's not so bad, really. Only Phoenix is a little... clingy. He won't let himself be calmed by anyone but me."

"Really?"

"We thought it would get better after a few days, but it hasn't changed much."

Both of them looked up when Leo entered the living room, a tray of tea and hot chocolate with him.

"At least he lets us touch him now without starting to cry." Leo set the tray down and sat next to Mikey, resting an arm over his shoulders. "Two weeks ago he'd cry every time we tried to take him from Mikey."

"You'd think he's used to your voices and all. Amy and Ky liked you all immediately."

Kion shrugged, sipping from his tea.

"Some kids just have a really strong bond with their mother. I bet he'll warm up to you in the next weeks."

"I hope so..." Leo sighed, distracted by the kids show.

"Where's Raph?" Mikey asked with a frown.

Donnie was in the basement, working on something for Telon. The doctor has given him some work he could do at home, so he can be with his family the first few months and still get paid.

"Uh, he said he wanted to install that new lamp we bought before they were born."

"Can't he do that when they're awake? He's gonna-"

Mikey was interrupted by a crash from upstairs. A small pause, followed by a string of curses. A baby's wail.

Leo sighed and jumped to his feet before Mikey could move.

"I got it."

Kion laughed at the look Mikey sent him. The baby calmed after a few moments and Leo was scolding Raph.

"Hey, how long did it take until you weren't sore anymore?" Mikey asked to cover the following bickering of his oldest mates.

"Uh... around two months. Getting frisky already?" Kion wiggled his eye-ridges.

"God no. It still feels like I pressed burning coals out. I'm asking because my bros are trying to be considerate. They're not intimate with each other until I can join them."

"Aw, but that's really sweet!"

"They're all tense, hovering, aggravated. It's annoying. I told them I wouldn't mind if they did the do without me, but no success." Mikey shook his head with a sigh.

"But enough of that. What about you? How are things at home?"

"Oh please. Ever since you gave birth Telon is bugging me about getting another child." Kion rolled his eyes.

"Don't you want another one? What does Bogen say?"

"I don't mind a second child, but not so soon. Elia is two now, I'd rather have her out of that horrible age before attempting again." He eyed his daughter to make sure she was still captivated by the show.

"Bogen is neutral at the moment, he's busy at work because of some perverts roaming around... But if Telon bothers him too he's gonna be on his side. I have three months to think of a good excuse before mating season."

"Isn't that a good excuse? That you want to wait till Elia's older?"

"Telon killed that excuse immediately. Because you guys manage triplets, we can manage a second baby."

Mikey giggled. "I'm sorry."

"Yeah yeah. What about you? Already planning the next kid?"

"We haven't really talked about it. I kinda think three are enough for now." Mikey cleared his throat and absentmindedly rubbed his backside. "For a long while, to be honest."

"That's what I thought. You're gonna have to ask Telon for heat suppressants. Oh hey! I'm just gonna tell him that we want to be pregnant together! That way I can get out of it for a few years! You're gonna be my excuse."

Mikey laughed, agreeing to the plan. "Alright. I'm sure it's gonna be a few years until we want another one. _If_ we ever gonna get more children."

Footsteps from the stairs alerted them of Don's presence. He had a paper bag in his hands and yawned.

"Oh, hey Kion. Is Telon picking you up later?"

The dark turtle nodded. "Yep... are you already done with that?" He said, motioning to the paper bag Donnie set down on a side table.

"Yes, I wanted to have it done before three." Kion found himself about to ask why, when there was another baby wailing from upstairs.

Donnie grinned at his accurate planning, getting to the kitchen to prepare the bottles.

"Wow." Kion stated, looking at Mikey. "Telon was never this organized."

"Heh yeah. Kinda his thing." Mikey chuckled, standing up and walking to the stairs.

"Do you need help getting them down?" He yelled, getting an immediate response that consisted of both Leo and Raph telling him to "Just sit down!"

Mikey rolled his eyes as he trudged back to the couch. "Over protective bastards." He grumbled under his breath.

"Babies are up?" Elia asked with excitement when the wails came down the stairs.

"Yes, they're hungry now." Donnie answered, carrying three bottles over and setting them on the table.

"I can give dem cookie!"

"No sweetie, I'm afraid they're too young for that. They want their bottles." Donnie laughed before hurrying over to take Ky from Leo. The leader adjusted his grip on Amy now that his other arm was free and bounced her gently to calm her.

Raph was coming down the stairs, sighing when Nix kept screaming pitifully. He was holding him up against his plastron, bouncing him and gently patting his diapered bottom, something that always calmed Amy down, but it didn't work.

Mikey held his arms out to receive their youngest from Raph, and as soon as Nix realized he was with his mommy he calmed down.

"This is getting really frustrating." Raphael pouted, jumping over the back of the couch to settle between Donnie and Mikey.

Donnie chuckled and handed Ky and his bottle to Raph. He playfully tickled the tiny toes, making the baby giggle cutely around the bottle in his mouth.

"Somebody lost his socks again." He cooed.

"No wonder with how much he kicks around. Definitely Mikey's hyperactivity." Mikey stuck his tongue out to Leo as he held the bottle for Nix, who sucked on it happily.

Donatello got up to retrieve the socks, rubbing Elia's head as he passed her.

The two-year-old was examining Amy with wide eyes. The baby had a frown on her face, holding the stare with her own as she swallowed her food greedily.

"That's Amy. She's a girl, like you." Leo explained, smiling when Elia's face lit up.

"She gonna play dolly with me?"

"Not yet, but when she is a little older she will." Elia shone with joy at that before turning to examine Ky.

"Girl too?"

"No, that's a boy. Ky." Elia tilted her head as she met the wide cerulean eyes.

"Hello Ky. You're no girl but you can play dolly too." She decided graciously, delighted when the baby smiled at her too.

"Another thing he has in common with Mikey. That perpetual smile." Raph shook his head with a fond smile.

"And Don's lack of appetite." Leo added pointedly when Ky turned his head from the only half-empty bottle.

"No, no, no, Kyanite. You have to eat so you get big and strong like daddy." Ky pouted when Raph kept trying to put the bottle back in his mouth. Finally he accepted it, distractedly sucking on it as he looked at Elia. "Good boy."

Donnie came back with the missing sock and their burp cloths, and Nix' favorite pacifier. Ky didn't like them, and Amy always pulled hers out to just examine it. However, Phoenix loved his pacifier.

He threw one of the cloths over his shoulder and took Ky from his older brother when the bottle was empty. He patted the small shell, smiling when he heard the soft burp almost immediately. Donnie kissed the side of his face before cradling him again.

"Do you wanna hold him?" The genius asked Kion, who nodded with a grin.

While Amy was really wary of anyone that wasn't part of her family, and Phoenix was only comfortable with Mikey, Ky got along with everyone. At the hospital every nurse was charmed by his happy nature.

Kion was basically a stranger, it was their first meeting, and Ky giggled at him as if he was his best friend.

"Oh my, aren't you a precious little guy..." A happy squeal made them all smile.

Leo took the burp cloth from Donnie and put it over his own shoulder to coax a burp from Amy too. She fussed, not happy with her new position, and when she burped it was accompanied with some of the food. Leo grimaced at the wet sound and carefully handed her to Donnie so he could carefully take the soiled cloth away and wipe Amy's mouth.

Elia crawled over to Mikey and Nix, tilting her head. The baby was done with the bottle, already burping before Mikey could settle him against his plastron. Michelangelo chuckled and lowered him again, tickling his belly.

Phoenix giggled at his mommy, not caring about anything else.

"He has such a cute laugh, but he barely uses it." Raph noted. "Just like Leo."

"But that's what makes their laugh so precious." Mikey said wisely, making funny faces for his youngest.

Raph experimentally reached over to take one of Nix' hands, and as if on cue the laughter stopped. The green eyes snapped to Raph with a frown, as if saying "How dare you touch me".

Raphael shook his head while his mates laughed and pulled his hand away. "He also has Leo's distrust and paranoia. And he's barely a month old." He stated dryly, sending Leo a pointed look.

"Mommy?" Elia spoke up, looking at Kion.

"Yeah honey?"

"I want a baby too! They're funny!"

"... Elia, you're too young. Only grown-ups can have them." Kion explained.

"Then you have a baby! I wanna little sister!"

Kion glared at the way Mikey cracked up, laughing hard.

"We'll see, sweetheart." He calmed his daughter, distracting her with the cookies again. He leaned back with Ky, bouncing him a little when he yawned.

"Sooo..." he shot Mikey a sideways glance before settling on the other three with a pleasant smile. "Are you planning on more babies?"

"Of course." At the prompt answer, coming from all three of his mates, Mikey turned his head to frown at them.

"Not immediately, of course." Donnie clarified.

"But maybe in a year or something." Raph continued.

Kion laughed at Mikey's expression.

"You're kidding, right?" Leo, Donnie and Raph smirked at each other, but didn't answer. "Right?!"


	2. Chapter 2

The quiet night was broken by a baby's wail. All four of the turtles groaned, before Mikey made a move to get up. Leo stopped him, sitting up himself.

"I'll go." Mikey smiled tiredly but stood up anyways.

"Thanks, but it's Nix." He yawned and with that he vanished to calm their youngest.

"Shell, how does he know? They all sound the same..." Raph rubbed his eyes.

"Maternal instinct." Donnie supplied, face buried partly in the pillow. He sighed in relief when Phoenix' crying died down, the other two fortunately staying fast asleep.

It was quiet for a while, until Mikey's footsteps came closer.

"Donnie?" All three turtles on the bed looked up to see Mikey in the doorway, Nix in his arms.

"What is it?"

"Nix... he's really warm..." Mikey bit his lip, bouncing the whimpering baby as he came over to the bed.

Raph made room for Mikey to sit. Donnie frowned and reached over to feel the baby's head. Phoenix whined, but continued to suck on his pacifier, green eyes wide and tear-filled.

"This isn't good..." Mikey gasped, hugging the infant closer to his chest.

Leo frowned, putting a hand on his baby brother's shoulder.

"What do you mean?"

Donnie sighed and rubbed his eyes to get rid of the remaining exhaustion.

"The turtles in this dimension are all cold-blooded, like Raph and I are. They don't get colds, or the flu, or other related sicknesses." At the blank stares of his mates he rolled his eyes.

"That means they never needed any medicine for it."

As if on cue Nix coughed, his pacifier falling out. He cried from the pain he was feeling, only calming down when Mikey rested him up against his plastron so he could hear the calming heartbeat of his mother.

"That means we can't help him?" Mikey asked, a tear sliding down his cheek. His poor baby was burning up and in pain, and he couldn't help him.

"It's okay sweetheart, at Telon's lab I have everything I need to make medicine." Donnie felt the infant's head again, the other hand on Mikey's cheek to compare the temperatures.

"It's not so high. Tomorrow morning I'll get to work. Maybe I can find a thermometer too."

Leo nodded and stood up. "I'm gonna check on Amy and Ky, just in case."

"They should be fine, I'm sure they're cold-blooded too." He trailed off when Leo was gone, rolling his eyes again. Worrywart.

Raph gently rubbed Nix' carapace when he coughed again.

"How did he get sick? They haven't been outside since we brought them home..."

"It happens to infants. Their immune systems are quite unstable the first few months. Usually it's nothing to worry about... I was pretty sure Nix was cold-blooded too. He's just a tiny bit warmer than we are." Donnie said to Raph, a thoughtful expression on his face.

"If the mutagen makes our cum mix together, who knows what his insides look like. Maybe he's warm-blooded, but has a lower core temperature." Don raised an eye-ridge at Raph, who blushed and shrugged. "Hey, sometimes I listen to your scientific mumbo-jumbo."

Leo entered the bedroom again, settling down behind Mikey and pressing a kiss to his sick son's forehead.

"The two sleep like rocks."

"Good..."

"Nix looks ready to go back to sleep again, too. Maybe he sleeps through the rest of the night." Leo suggested.

Mikey put Nix down to cradle him in both arms again, frowning when he put the pacifier in his mouth again.

"Honey, look, he's almost asleep. It's just a small fever." Raph coaxed when Mikey didn't move to get up.

"I don't wanna leave him alone..." The sea-green turtle admitted, watching his baby's eyes flutter close as he fell asleep in my mother's arms.

Raph sighed and got up to get the crib. He was just grateful that they had wheels for easy moving.

When he had it in the bedroom, Mikey reluctantly got up to place Nix in his bed.

However, as soon as his shell touched the bedding he started fussing and squirming again. Immediately Mikey scooped him up again, kissing his head and shushing him until he settled down again.

His brothers exchanged glances at the display.

"I'm going to sit with him in the living room for a while." Mikey announced without looking back and made his way out.

**_xxxxx_**

"I can't believe there isn't a single thermometer in this freaking city." Raph grumbled, holding Ky to make him burp as he paced behind Donnie and Mikey.

Leo was still feeding Amy, sitting in the rocking chair they had set up in the temporary nursery.

"At least he found one in his duffel." He said, eyes on the shells of his youngest mates.

Nix was whimpering on the changing table, his nose slightly stuffed. He was shifting around and kicking.

Donnie put some petroleum jelly on their old digital thermometer while Mikey tried to calm the fussing infant.

"I'd rather have a real baby thermometer, though." The genius mumbled, placing his hand on Nix' lower body to hold him still as he carefully inserted the device into the baby's entrance.

"Hold him still, Mikey, I don't want to hurt him."

Mikey nodded and leaned down to nuzzle Nix, whispering to him for comfort.

"I could modify this one, but that's gonna take a while."

"Do it, I don't think this is the last time he's sick..." Leo sighed and put Amy up to get her to burp too.

The thermometer beeped, and Don's shoulders slumped a little when he saw the readings.

"Oh good. It's pretty low. Even if his core temperature is lower than normal." Mikey also let out a sigh of relief before putting a fresh diaper on Nix and scooping him up again, after wrapping him in his blanket.

"What if it gets worse?"

"I'm already working on suppositories, I mixed the stuff I need, but it takes a while till they're done. For his throat I prepared some tea in the kitchen... these turtles don't know it has medical purposes in our world, but I'm glad they have it."

Nix coughed and started to cry a little more, snuggling close to Mikey for comfort.

"Okay, my little darling, let's get some tea into you..." Mikey cooed, carrying Nix out the room with a small sniff.

Donnie sighed and cleaned the tip of the thermometer before leaning against the changing table.

"I guess we can be grateful it's just one. It would be hell to have three sick babies without medicine."

"Give it one more day and Mikey's down for the count too. Ya heard his nose stuff up too, right?"

Donatello nodded, rubbing his forehead.

"His body is still recovering from the stress of giving birth, that's why I was so insistent that he takes it easy... Now with the lack of sleep since Nix got sick, and being exposed to the germs, I'm not surprised he's catching whatever he has. He's so very susceptible to begin with."

"I tried to get him to take a nap when Nix was finally asleep this morning, but he barely got an hour before Phoenix woke him up again..."

"No wonder. The little guy won't shut up until Mikey holds him. He won't get proper rest when he's constantly alert because of that."

"Nix is already recovering, way faster than it's normal... If he has Leo's strong immune system he could be back to full health by tomorrow night." Donnie shrugged.

"But if Mikey caught it he's gonna be sick for at least a week. And he still won't get proper rest because he's always alert because of Nix."

Leo took a deep breath, thoughtfully looking at the kicking baby in his arms.

"We have to think of something..."

**_xxxxx_**

"Did he finish the tea?" Donnie asked a few minutes later, sitting down next to Mikey on the couch.

Raph and Leo settled down next to them after putting Amy and Ky in the home-made crib in their living room.

Nix was fast asleep in his mother's arms.

Mikey yawned and nodded, sniffing a little when he rested his head on Donnie's shoulder. The olive arm came around his shoulder, pulling him a little closer. Mikey cleared his throat before speaking up.

"He fell asleep almost instantly."

"That's good. He needs a lot of rest..." Donnie said carefully, hand rubbing over the sea-green skin.

"Where's your sweater, Mikey?" Raph asked with a frown. The smaller turtle gave a sheepish shrug, pulling it out from under the blanket he was using.

"I was getting too warm with Nix so close." Raph ground his teeth with an unhappy expression, but Donnie spoke up before he could.

"The tea should help him sleep a few hours in a row. Why don't you take a nap too, hm?"

"But he _needs_ me..." Mikey whined, voice cracking in the end.

"Honey, we are here too. We can handle him if he wakes up early..."

"You know how clingy he is... I... I don't want to let him down when he needs me. I don't want to screw this up." His already slightly glazed eyes were filling with tears. "I don't know if I can do this!"

In an instant his brothers were hugging him all around, careful of the baby in his arms.

Leo gently took Nix from him, turning away quickly to not fall victim to Mikey's puppy-dog eyes. He placed the infant to his sleeping siblings before joining his own brothers on the couch, back to the group hug.

"Mikey, you're not letting anyone down. You don't screw anything up." Raph said, wiping the tears with his thumb.

"You're a great parent, our babies love you."

"And most importantly, you're _not_ _alone_ in this."

Sobs wrecked Mikey's body, he tried to keep it down and only succeeded in letting out a cough.

Donnie closed his eyes and let out a breath when he gently patted his baby brother's shell. He had expected something like this, with the hormones still in overdrive. Telon had warned him of post-natal depressions. That didn't mean he was prepared for it.

But Mikey was already calming down again, taking deep breaths now.

"C'mere." Raph used the blanket covering Mikey's legs to wrap it loosely all around him with practiced ease. Then he easily lifted him up over to Leo, who placed him in his lap and wrapped his arms tight around him.

Mikey blinked tiredly, but didn't move from the comfortable spot. He relaxed in the warm embrace, using the edge of his blanket to wipe at his face.

"Now I feel like a baby." He chuckled, closing his eyes.

"How do you think did we know how to handle the three bundles of joy?" Raph grinned, relieved that the emotional outburst was over already.

Donnie smiled, patting the covered knee.

"Even though you're a mom now, you'll always be our baby." Mikey giggled, turning into a cough again. "I'm gonna get you a cup of that tea." Donnie announced, leaving for the kitchen.

Leo nuzzled Mikey's face with a smile, noting the slight difference in temperature, and pressed a kiss to the temple. Mikey let out a sigh, resting his head on Leo's shoulder with closed eyes.

"You're great parents too..." He mumbled, fighting to stay awake so he could drink that stupid tea. It's the least he could do after freaking out in front of them. "Love you."

"We love you too, baby..."

**_xxxxx_**

Mikey awoke two hours later to the sound of Nix' crying. He blinked a few times until his vision cleared on the television where a show was running on low volume. Raph was leaving the couch.

He felt really comfortable, wrapped like a burrito with his head resting on Leo's thigh. Clearing his throat, he pushed himself to a sitting position. At least he tried to. Leo's hand on his arm held him down.

"Ssh, it's okay." It took Mikey a few moments to realize the crying had stopped. Frowning, he shook off Leo's hand and sat up, twisting to look at their living-room-crib.

He mimicked Leo's smile as they both watched Raph and Donnie at the crib. Raph had Mikey's pullover over his shoulder, letting Nix snuggle into it while Donnie coaxed him into drinking more of the tea.

"Go back to sleep, baby." Leo whispered, running his hand over Mikey's head in a calming motion once he laid down again.

**_xxxxx_**

_The lair was quiet, safe for the sounds coming from the TV. The turtles were watching a movie together._

_Suddenly the alarms shrieked, seconds before there were hard thumping sounds and shouts from just outside the lair. The hidden entrance burst open with an explosion, and people from the government were storming their home. _

_They tried to explain, that they meant no harm, but it didn't do anything. One of them tried to grab Splinter, who evaded the touch neatly and flicked his tail, the movement enough to set off the soldiers. They just shot Splinter, three times as if one time wasn't enough. _

_Raph was taken out by an electric shock, just as Leo noticed April by the entrance. Tears were on her face as she mouthed a soundless "Sorry." _

_Don helped him carry Raph, and muttered something in japanese. The lab, I know a way out._

"_Look," Leo choked trying to speak after the shock of his father's death and April's betrayal. "We come with you willingly." He said, desperate to save his brothers and mates._

_As soon as the passed the lab they moved with the swiftness they've been practicing for years and locked themselves in the lab without being hit by the bullets. _

_Donnie placed a circular metal thing on the ground and stood on it, motioning for his mates to join him. And so their journey across the dimensions began. They've been forced to leave, not able to bring anything but Don's duffel._

Leo's eyes shot open, tears running down his temples and soaking the pillow. He took deep breaths as he took in the familiar surroundings of their bedroom. Nightmares were bad enough, he could really do without those flashbacks.

He wiped at his face, turning to curl up to his mates. He jumped a little at meeting Mike's open eyes.

"Everything okay?" The youngest's voice was hoarse from the cold he was still fighting. Nix, as Donnie had predicted, had recovered very quickly, fortunately having inherited Leo's strong immune system. Mikey however, was a wreck.

Leo sighed and rested his hand on Mikey's cheek, thumb stroking the flushed skin gently.

"You should be sleeping." He gently scolded, keeping his voice down so he wouldn't wake their mates.

"You too." Mikey turned his face into the pillow to stifle a cough. Leo chuckled, nuzzling Mike's forehead, frowning at the heat.

"Fair enough. How about you tell me what woke you up, and I'm gonna tell you what woke me up?"

"Headache." Mikey started, sniffing and rubbing his eyes. "And I'm hot. I was about to get up to get something to drink when you woke up."

He looked expectantly at Leo in the dim moonlight.

"I... I dreamed about April. And Splinter. Back when... you know." He trailed off, averting his gaze when his eyes filled with tears again.

Mikey wrapped his arms around his big brother, soothingly rubbing his plastron. Yes, that event had hit them all hard. They had to decide so quick, their whole life was gone in the matter of minutes. And to find a dimension worth staying had been hard enough.

Leo clung to him, taking deep breaths to calm himself. It was ridiculous. That was almost two years ago, he should finally be over it. He and his mates were happy in this dimension, they fit in perfectly, and they even had their own children. Things were going good.

After a few minutes Leo pulled back, smiling when Mikey wiped his cheeks dry and kissed his forehead.

"You're really good at being a mommy." Leo said, muffling a laugh when Mikey playfully hit his arm, before he had to cough again. Leo stood up. "I'm gonna get you some water."

"No wait." Mikey scooted to the edge of the bed, holding on Leo's hands to steady himself to stand. "I wanna check on the babies."

Leonardo didn't think it was a good idea to let Mikey run around, but there was no way he would listen. So the he helped his younger brother when he swayed, and they checked on their infants. They were sleeping two hours now, one more hour before they would want to be fed or changed again.

"Let's cuddle on the couch until they wake up..." Mikey suggested, prepared to pout when Leo frowned.

"You heard Donnie, you have to sleep this off."

"I can't fall asleep anyways with how much my head is hurting." The dreaded puppy-dog look got Leo to break sooner than he could be proud of. He really needed to find a solution for that.

"Fine, but you're gonna drink some of that tea." It was really stupid that this was their only kind of medicine. They've been at the pharmacy, and there _were_ pills for headaches, but they didn't work on either Mikey or Leo. Donnie thought it had to do with them being warm-blooded.

About twenty minutes later Mikey had his head on Leo's thighs again, the latter gently massaging Mike's head to soothe the headache.

"This feels good..." The freckled turtle mumbled with closed eyes, sniffing.

"Mhm..." Leo's frown was ever present, and he eventually just rested his hands on Mikey's forehead and cheeks. "You feel really hot, baby..."

Mikey sighed and forced his eyes open to look at Leo.

"I just drank the tea and I'm wrapped in a woolen pullover _and_ a blanket. Of course I'm hot."

"When Donnie notices he's going to want to take your temperature."

"Oh shell no, he won't. We only have that one thermometer and I'm not going to put that in my mouth anymore."

At the sideways smirk Leo sent him Mikey's eyes narrowed. "He's not gonna put it there either. And you will shut up, or the next time you're sick I'm gonna make sure it's you enduring that."

Leo cleared his throat and resumed his massage. He had no doubt Mikey would pull through with his threat. And back then he hadn't ratted him out either. They had to stick together, after all.

"Fine. Good luck hiding it from him, though. You know how he gets when we try that." Mikey sighed again at the soothing touch, sounding pretty exhausted.

"I'll cross that bridge when I come to it." He mumbled, on the verge of falling asleep.

Carefully Leo lifted his head to slip out from under him, putting a soft pillow in his place.

In the kitchen he prepared the bottles for their babies. At night somehow none of them liked their food too warm, so he could let them cool until they were needed.

As soon as the first wail reached his ears he hurried to get upstairs so Mikey wouldn't wake up from his much needed sleep.

When he entered the nursery, Raph was already there, bouncing Amy in his arms.

Leo handed him one of the bottles with a smile at his tired sibling, nuzzling the side of his face as soon as Amy was eating.

"Everything okay?" Raph asked in a sleepy voice, returning the nuzzle. Leo only got all cuddly with him when he was sad.

"Yeah... just a bad dream. More like a flashback." He locked eyes with Raph, and didn't have to say more. While Donnie and Mikey kept avoiding the topic, Raph and Leo often talked about it as a therapy.

Raphael sighed and pressed a kiss to Leo's temple.

"We didn't even get to give him a proper funeral." The blue-banded turtle said, watching Amy fall asleep when the bottle was almost empty. Raph nodded, face thoughtful.

"You know, it's not the same, but in that park on the other side of the city... There are those boulders and cherry trees. They would be in flower next month... We could improvise, carve his name in one of the boulders or something."

Leo looked up at Raph and smiled softly. "That's a great idea..."

Raph yawned and grinned lazily. "Yeah, apparently I'm a genius when woken up late at night." Leo chuckled at that.

Nix started whining. Leo grabbed Mikey's jacket from their swinging chair and threw it over his shoulder before taking him. The infant fussed a little before snuggling into the jacket and accepting the bottle. They wouldn't be able to fool Nix forever with this method, but they hoped he wouldn't mind anymore when he got used to them.

Ky was awake too, but not crying. He was grinning when he saw Leo look inside his crib and kicked his legs with a happy squeal.

"Did you see Mikey, by the way? He wasn't in bed..." Raph asked with another yawn as he put sleeping Amy back in her crib to scoop Ky up and feed him, though he made quite a fuss. "Kyanite, eat. Now." Ky frowned at his daddy, but opened his mouth at the insisting pushes to his lips.

"Yeah. His cold, or whatever it is, is bothering him. I gave him some of that tea, he's sleeping on the couch." Raph frowned, heaving a sigh.

"So he's not getting better?" Leo shrugged, coaxing a burp from Nix before he fell asleep.

"I got the impression he's getting worse. He couldn't sleep because of the headache bothering him. He was way warmer too."

"Almost two years without a single cold and now this happens..."

"Well, the other dimensions were rather warm, the atmospheres really comfortable. He would've been fine here too if it wasn't for Nix giving it to him."

"If he's gonna catch everything Nix does at some point we have something to look forward to." Raph said dryly, sighing when he noticed Ky had fallen asleep again, only half of his bottle empty. He put him in his crib again when Leo did the same to Nix.

"You can go back to bed, it's late enough for me to stay awake anyways."

Raph eyed the rising sun from the window and stretched.

"Nah, Donnie's gonna get up soon anyways. Wanna take a shower with me? And then we can have a big breakfast together."

Leo grinned and nodded, pulling Raph with him towards the bathroom.

**_xxxxx_**

"Sweetheart?" Donnie gently shook Mikey's shoulder about an hour later.

The sick turtle coughed as he woke up, hiding his flushed face in his blanket. "Ugh. Morning Donnie." He said finally, sitting up.

"Do you feel up to eating something? Raph and Leo made breakfast." He paused, reconsidering. "Raph made breakfast. Leo made tea." Donnie smiled at his little brother tilting the freckled face with a hand on his chin.

Mikey knew he had about three seconds until Donnie noticed he was way warmer than the days before. So he nodded enthusiastically and hurried to stand up.

Donnie steadied him when he swayed, helping him to the dining table.

"What were you doing on the couch, anyways?"

Mikey blinked. This was a trap. It had to be a trap. Leo avoided his gaze to duck under Don's guilt radar.

"I woke up a few hours earlier cause I couldn't sleep anymore." He went with the truth for the beginning.

"Are you feeling worse?" Donnie asked with concern in his voice, already leaning over to feel his forehead.

Mikey leaned away irritably, realizing his mistake a second too late.

Don's eyes narrowed as he got up, ignoring the whine and pressing his hand to Mikey's forehead, the other slapped on Leo's cheek for comparison.

"It's not so bad, Donnie..." Mikey tried to shake off the hand but Donatello wouldn't budge.

"I think you're warmer than yesterday..." Donnie hated that he couldn't judge the temperatures with his cold-blooded nature. It made things so much harder, especially when his eldest and youngest brothers were being difficult. "Leo, is he warmer than yesterday?"

Leo's eyes were wide as he looked between Don's stern gaze and Mikey's threatening one. Raph laughed at the display, muffling it by stuffing his face with food. He had no idea what Leo's gotten himself into, but it was fun to watch the mighty leader squirm under their younger brothers' stares.

The blue-banded turtle was torn as he reached over to feel Mikey's forehead. Of course it was warmer, he had worried about that just a couple hours ago. It would be logical to just say that, it would get Don off his case and Mikey could be properly taken care of. On the other hand, there was a good chance he'd catch something himself. And if he was unlucky enough Don would go crazy on him too. He'd really need Mikey's support then.

"Well?"

What was he thinking? The health of his baby brother was more important. And Donnie at the moment was a way bigger threat. He shot Mikey an apologizing look.

"Yeah, his fever is higher."

Mikey pouted at him, while Donnie sighed and turned the chair he was sitting on to examine his eyes and throat better.

"Mikey, you have to tell us if you feel worse. A fever is nothing to take lightly."

"But Donnie, there's nothing you can do anyways. You said there is no medicine. And I've been drinking that tea all the time."

"I finished making the suppositories last night, if I double the dose for you I can-"

"Oh shell no you won't!" Mikey stood up, glaring at Don. "You won't shove anything up my ass!" He yelled and coughed deeply, feeling very light-headed afterwards.

"Calm down..." Donnie soothed, guiding Mikey to the couch to make him lay down on it. He was quite surprised by that outburst, if he was honest. Sure, he expected Mikey to not be delighted by the idea, but this reaction...

Mikey panted after another coughing fit, his cheeks and forehead redder than before. He pulled at his woolen sweater, wanting it off.

"No baby, keep it on." Raph told him, soothingly rubbing Mike's head while Leo massaged his legs.

"I feel so hot." He whined, a few tears actually dripping from the corners of his eyes.

"I know sweetheart, but keep it on, okay?" Donnie soothed, worried at how high the fever seemed to have jumped in such a short time. He cursed when all three of their babies started wailing through the baby monitor.

"Nonono, lay still." Leo pushed Mikey down when he tried to get up.

"My babies..." he sobbed through his stuffed nose.

Raph and Leo hurried to get their babies, leaving Donnie to look out for their brother. Leo positioned Nix and Amy in Raph's arms before scooping up Ky, using his other hand to grab the petroleum jelly and the thermometer from the changing table.

Donnie gratefully took the stuff from Leo, opening the jelly and prying Mikey's overheated legs apart. The youngest, however, struggled weakly.

"Sweetheart, you have to hold still and let me take your temperature."

While Amy and Ky were content to be changed by Raph and quieted down, Nix was still crying. Leo tried bouncing him, but of course he didn't calm down.

"Nix can't catch this from Mikey again, right?" He asked, walking over to the couch.

"No. Why?" Donnie looked up when Leo placed the crying baby down so he was plastron to plastron with Mikey. Automatically the arms came up to hold him steady, and Nix calmed down when he heard his mother's heartbeat.

"Careful baby, Nix is laying on you. You have to hold still so he doesn't fall, okay?"

Donnie blinked at the great idea and hurried to scoop some of the jelly on the tip of the thermometer. Mikey only flinched a little when it slid into him. Raph came over after throwing away the used diapers and leaned against the back of the couch.

"Don't... I... I'm still sore..." Mikey cried silently, his voice so hoarse they barely understood him. Leo stroked the tears from his face and nuzzled him.

"It's alright, baby, we're not doing anything. Just keep holding onto Nix."

Donnie hissed at the numbers on the thermometer.

"Raph, can you get me the paper bag from the kitchen?" While Raph hurried to comply, Donnie put some of the petroleum jelly on his finger and gently circled Mikey's entrance to spread it around.

"It's gonna hurt..." Mikey whimpered, his hands rubbing Nix' carapace.

"I'm really careful, sweetheart, it's gonna over in a few seconds and then you'll feel better." Donnie explained, dipping the tip of his finger inside Mikey to spread the jelly and test the waters.

He grabbed the bag from Raph and pulled out a smaller plastic bag with a few suppositories.

"Hey Raph, Leo, why don't you tell Mikey about the pee accident you had with Ky yesterday?" Donnie gave a pointed look, and the two older turtles immediately started babbling about said incident, talking slowly to distract Mikey as the genius pressed one of the suppositories inside, a second close behind. He pushed them as far as he could without causing Mikey too much discomfort.

He used the momentary calm to go wash his hands and brought a wet rag back with him.

Leo draped it over their baby brother's forehead, also covering his eyes. Donnie stroked the flushed cheek with a small smile.

It didn't take long for him to fall asleep, calmed by the presence of his family.

Nix was perfectly content lying on his mother's plastron, the soft fabric of the sweater was very comfy. He cooed, placing his fist to his mouth. Donnie sighed and lovingly stroked his carapace.

"What was that, Donnie?" Raph asked quietly, face in a worried frown. The olive turtle shrugged.

"I'd say his body finally had enough. It's forcing him to rest." Donatello tried to explain. "Though the sweating is a good sign. The fever should break in the next few hours."

"I swear, the next time he gets sick I'm just gonna knock him out."

"I just don't get how Nix got sick in first place. There's no one he could've caught it from." Leo asked, stroking his son's head.

"I bet here are the same germs that are on earth. There's just no one getting sick because they're all cold-blooded. Mikey had a runny nose after we decided to stay here. And I'm beginning to think, he didn't get sick during pregnancy because his body accommodated to two of his babies being cold-blooded."

"That's not really making me feel better." Raph sighed. "Can you make more medicine?"

"And some of the normal kind?" Leo added. "You know, pills or syrup."

Donnie laughed. "What, scared of a tiny little bullet in your ass?" Leo blushed, and that made Raph grin in amusement.

"I vote we keep it at suppositories. I even volunteer to medicate Leo if needed."

"Shut up, Raph."


	3. Chapter 3

"Yo Mikey, are you sure you're gonna be fine alone with the kids? Don's gonna be home in an hour, we could reschedule the... what are you doing?"

Raph trailed off as he entered the living room. Leo and Mikey were standing by their hexagonal crib.

"Ky is moving!" Mikey grinned widely without looking up.

Raphael raised an eye-ridge and approached his mates, leaning against the crib to look at his babies.

All of them, now about three months old, had started to lift their heads recently, testing their strength and mobility. When placed on their belly they would experimentally bend as much as their shells allowed.

Right now Ky was on his carapace, tongue sticking out in concentration as he wiggled and worked his little body to the side and eventually onto his belly.

"He's been doing this the whole time now." Leo had a fond expression on his face. "We had to move Amy and Nix out of the way twice."

Amy was in the far left corner, laying on her belly, weight resting on her chubby elbows while she chewed on the ear of a plush bunny. Nix was content laying on his carapace, one hand reaching for the plush stars above him. The middle space was empty, save for Ky turning to lay on his carapace again.

Raph tickled their firstborn's belly, chuckling at the cute giggle that reminded them so much of Mikey's.

"Told ya, Mike's hyperactivity. Just wait till he starts crawling. Gonna be a handful." He glanced at the clock on the wall. "We have to leave in a few minutes, Leo."

The oldest turtle blinked himself out of his daze and nodded.

"Right... are you gonna be alright baby?" Leo asked Mikey, who rolled his eyes with a smile.

"Yeah. I'll play with them a little, maybe feed them a little earlier and then they're gonna sleep anyways. I can handle the hour until Donnie's back."

Since Donnie went back to working at Telon's office Leo and Raph had been reluctant to leave Mikey alone when they had to go to the dojo. Today was the first time one of them would be all alone with the three of the babies.

"We can be home in two minutes if you need us. Just call."

"Gosh, Leo. It's one measly hour. Nothing's gonna happen."

Raph rested his arm over Mikey's shoulders, smirking at Leo.

"He's just worried he's gonna miss Ky rolling around some more." He teased.

"Oh shut up Raph." Leo covered his blush with a glare and bent down a little to press a kiss to Mike's forehead. "Let's go."

As soon as Mikey was alone, he let out a sigh. He was rather relieved to finally have some time alone. He loved his mates with all his heart, but ever since his pregnancy they were nothing short of annoying. Their hovering grated on his nerves, especially after he gave birth. He didn't know where these feelings came from. They kinda scared him, yet he managed to get them under control whenever he had a little alone time.

He leaned on the crib again, a soft smile on his face as he watched Ky yawn, tired from moving around so much. His eyelids were fluttering close, little fingers moving when he fell asleep. Even though he seemed to share most of Mikey's character traits, he looked so much like Leo when he slept.

Amy was still chewing on that bunny, her tiny hand holding her snuggle blanket in a tight grip. She was making humming sounds, letting her head fall on the plushie, sneezing when the fabric tickled her nose. Mikey had to bite his lip to keep from laughing out loud at her surprised expression. It made her look just like Donnie when he was surprised. Amy made a gasping sound when Mikey turned her on her carapace, grabbing her mommy's finger. She examined it for a second before putting it in her mouth with a smile.

"Are you hungry, sweetie?" Mikey cooed, tickling her chin before taking is hand away. Promptly Amy's face turned into a frown as she made grabby hands to have the finger back. Mikey chuckled and handed her a pacifier. It would distract her until he'd have the bottle done.

After preparing three bottles he put them on the window sill before scooping Amy up before she started whining. While he fed her, he stood by Nix' side of the crib.

At the sight of his mommy being so close he giggled cutely, hands reaching for him now instead of the mobile.

"Just a few minutes, honey, mommy has to feed your sister first." He cooed. Nix frowned when Mikey didn't pick him up right away, kicking his legs and whining unhappily. The frown made him look so much like Raph, and the tantrum that was about to follow would rival the hotheads.

Fortunately Amy had her mom's appetite and finished her bottle rather quick. Mikey put her upright against his shoulder after putting the burp cloth there.

He hoped she would hurry up, since Nix was already starting to wail. Ky stirred a little, sharing Leo's light sleeping habits. Mikey started to panic. If her brothers both cried, Amy was prone to join in, and if all of them wailed Mikey would freak out. It was still over half an hour before Donnie would be home.

Mikey let out a relieved sigh when Amy finally burped. He kissed her head before putting her down on her carapace and scooping up Nix.

For a moment he was afraid Amy would start crying too, but she just twisted herself to lay on her belly again, sticking her diapered bottom up and yawning. Apparently she preferred sleeping on her front, just like Donnie.

Phoenix didn't cry anymore, but continued to whine unhappily at Mikey. Sighing again he grabbed a full bottle and began feeding his youngest. Nix began to drink greedily using both of his little hands to keep a tight grip on Mikey's hand that held the bottle.

He didn't empty the bottle completely, he never did. Nix turned his head away, snuggling into Mikey's plastron and yawned, closing his eyes.

He pouted when the sea-green turtle put him up to make him burp. He kicked his legs in the hold before the burp came along with some of the food.

Mikey smiled, laying him down in the crib again and wiping his mouth clean. Nix frowned and squirmed on his carapace, but accepted the pacifier that was placed in his mouth.

Suddenly his mommy wasn't there anymore. Spitting the pacifier out again he started crying, knowing his mother would come.

From the kitchen, where Mikey had just put the two empty bottles to be cleaned later, he could hear Nix' wailing and bit his lip.

He knew his youngest was only crying for attention, and he shouldn't encourage it, but if he didn't stop him he would wake up his siblings.

Rubbing his temple Mikey tried to put the pacifier back in the infant's mouth, and Nix sucked on it, his large green eyes filled with tears as he watched his mother. He started to cry again, face reddening when Mikey didn't scoop him up.

"Nix, mommy can't always hold you until you fall asleep..." Mikey tried, knowing the baby wouldn't understand a word. The tone was soothing, though Nix wasn't calming down.

Giving a sigh of defeat, Mikey took him in his arms. Immediately the infant was quiet, nuzzling his head to the warm chest as he closed his eyes and sucked on his pacifier. His tiny hand was grabbing on his plastron, as if trying to hold onto him.

"Yeah... I like cuddling too." Mikey couldn't help but smile at the display, bouncing him slightly while he checked on his other two again. Amy was fast asleep, her thumb in her mouth. Ky was already starting to move in his sleep again, kicking his feet until his socks were off. He'd have to be fed soon too.

Mikey waited for a few minutes until he was sure Nix was in a deep slumber before putting him down again. Then he picked up his oldest son, tickling his feet until he woke up.

At the sight of his mommy he gave a wide toothless smile and cooed, happily moving his arms.

"Aw my little sunshine, time for food..." Ky accepted the bottle, eyes fixated on Mikey's face. "And this time you're gonna finish all of it for mommy, okay?" Kyanite giggled, taking a few moments before sucking again.

"Papa said you have to eat more, young man. So you will finish this whole bottle, so Daddy and Fafa don't die of worry."

The cerulean eyes were fixed on Mikey's mouth with rapt attention, sucking harder when he was distracted by the sound and movement of the lips.

Mikey blinked and tilted his head. When he was quiet, Ky's sucking grew less again. "Do you like it when I talk to you?" Ky smiled widely again with twinkling eyes before he resumed eating.

"I guess I can do that. Talking is my strength, you know? I bet yours too. You're so much like me, I'm actually scared you're gonna be a troublemaker, like I was back then." Ky reached for the bottle, tapping his fingers on it and Mike's fingers.

"Can you keep a secret, babycakes?" Mikey settled down on the couch as he talked. "I'm scared of a lot of things." He whispered as if his son really understood him.

"I'm scared of being a horrible mom. I know, the guys said I'm doing a good job, but I can't help but think I will mess this up somehow. I know I'm not the smartest turtle, or the strongest, both mind and body. But I promise I will be here for you and your siblings whenever you need me."

He sniffed a little, smiling through tears. He had thought he was finally over this whole hormone craze, but apparently he wasn't.

"Papa will show you how to count and read, you're all probably really smart, like him. Just remember not to prank him too much, he can be a meanie when you annoy him. And Fafa is gonna start teaching you ninjutsu as soon as you can walk, probably. He's a really patient guy, and if you give him the puppy-dog eyes you can get away with almost everything."

The bottle was empty now, so Mikey put it on the table and leaned back, resting Ky on his plastron, patting the small carapace to encourage a burp.

"Daddy will play with you. He's already gotten into this weird rugby sports thing, he's gonna teach you everything there's to know about it. You shouldn't prank him because his temper is horrible, though I think he'd let you get away with many things."

The burp was loud and Ky was giggling again, squirming in Mikey's hold. He put him back down to cradle him, and frowned when Ky twisted, reaching for something behind Mikey.

Michelangelo jumped when a hand landed on his shoulder and a kiss was placed on his cheek.

"D-Donnie? I didn't hear you..." Mikey sniffed and quickly wiped his face, though there was no doubt his mate had already seen him crying.

Donnie jumped over the couch to sit next to him, keeping the arm where it was while the other was stroking Ky's head. The infant snuggled into the touch and yawned. Mikey placed him in Donnie's arms now so that they can cuddle too for a while until he falls asleep.

"I was quiet in case they were sleeping." The genius murmured, encouraging Mikey to rest his head on his shoulder.

Ky looked between Mikey's and Donnie's face, eyes drooping but not ready to fall asleep yet.

"Yes, I'm going to help you learn your numbers and letters. Daddy will teach you walking and sports. And Fafa will teach you japanese and ninjutsu... but don't let him teach you how to cook."

Mikey smiled at that, blushing a little because apparently Donnie had been listening to his whole speech.

"It's best if you let mommy help you with that. He's the best when it comes to the kitchen. He will color with you, and don't get me started on his beddie-bye stories. He's been making them up since you were born." Mikey giggled, he hadn't known anyone knew that.

"Mommy is always there for you... We all are, but mommy can make you feel better in seconds, because he loves us all with that big golden heart of his. He's gonna do anything to make us all happy, would sacrifice everything he has."

Donnie made a show of lifting Ky a little higher, voice dropping to a whisper, as if Mikey couldn't hear it.

"That's why we gotta take care of mommy too, so he doesn't forget to take care of himself. Because sometimes, he forgets that he's important too."

Mikey lowered his gaze, blush darkening. Ky giggled sleepily when Donnie nuzzled his face.

"He doesn't realize that he's the most important turtle for all of us, that you wouldn't be here if it wasn't for him. And you're all doing so well because he's doing an awesome job at taking care of you."

Donatello glanced at Mikey, smiling at the way he stared at him now.

"But don't tell him that I said that. He'd be impossible to live with if he knew." The genius chuckled when Mikey shoved him with a shy smile.

"I love you, you dork." Mikey said, resting his head on Don's shoulder again as he watched their firstborn finally fall asleep.

"I love you too, mommy."

**_xxxxx_**

Donnie came up from his lab in the basement, gulping down the rest of his coffee. He placed the cup in the sink, noting the empty bottles and made quick work of washing them thoroughly and putting them in a pot of water to be boiled later.

In the doorway to the living room he paused, smiling at the sight that greeted him.

Raph was laying on his carapace on a blanket on the floor. Ky was rolling around happily, while Nix was busy examining one of the smaller plushies strewn around.

Amy was in Raph's arms, squealing when he held her up above his head, making sounds a plane would make. He only did it for a few short seconds at a time so she wouldn't have to strain her head so much. She seemed to really enjoy that playtime with daddy. Still Donnie had to intervene.

"I don't think that's a good idea, Raph."

Ky looked up when he heard Donnie's voice and giggled, stretching his arms towards him and then tried to roll in his direction. Raph rolled his eyes good-naturedly and lifted Amy up again.

"I'm careful, it's fine."

"That's not what I meant. Mikey and Leo fed them before they went grocery shopping, she's gonna-"

Donnie had to bite his lip to keep from laughing too hard when Amy spewed some of her food up, all over Raph's plastron.

Her mouth was in a cute 'o' as she watched her daddy curiously. That was a very interesting shade of red on his face.

"Holy... f-ing shell!" Raph censored himself, quickly sitting up when he found his composure again.

Donnie couldn't help but laugh out loud at the incredulous expression on his brother's face while Amy laughed innocently, her tiny hands making grabbing motions towards Raph's beak.

The laughter was only reducing when Donnie felt something touch is foot. Ky was on his carapace, trying to twist again because he didn't realize he was there already. Donnie scooped him up with a big smile, nuzzling his tiny face.

"Oh my, Ky! Did you find Papa? I'm so proud of you!" He cooed, delighted at the happy squeal of their firstborn.

"A little help maybe?!" Donnie couldn't help but laugh again at the reminder and sat down on the blanket next to Raph and their other two babies.

"Well, they need a bath anyways. You can sit in the tub with them." Donnie grinned cheekily at the glare Raph sent him. "Hey, I tried to warn you, daddy."

Raph deadpanned, facing his daughter again, who squealed in delight at the attention. "Whatever."

The big turtle stood up with Amy in one arm as she rested against his shoulder, and held out the other for Donnie to place Ky in it.

Donnie looked at Nix, who gave him a wary look that made him look like Leo's twin. Donnie chuckled and held out his arms towards him. When the baby didn't start crying, Don scooped him up.

Nix pouted, but didn't whine yet. Inwardly celebrating that small victory, Donnie picked up the thick blanket and followed Raph upstairs.

There he put the blanket on the ground beside the tub, and they placed the triplets down. Raph started the water and wiped his plastron with a towel from their dirty laundry basket. It needed to be washed anyways.

Donnie added baby wash to the water, smiling at the numerous bubbles as it was stirred by the running water.

Raph stuck his tongue out at him childishly and sat in the tub when it was half filled. "This is stupid." he remarked, making quick work of washing himself while Donnie took Amy's diaper and socks off.

"You like the way Mikey smells when he bathes with them. You're gonna smell just the same." Don cheered him up, or more like, teased him before handing him their daughter.

"Yeah, we should've waited for Mikey and Leo to come home. Usually it's them doing the bathing."

"Isn't that nice, for a change?" Donnie chuckled, tickling Ky's belly while Nix watched his new surroundings with interest. Bath time usually meant lots of cuddling in warm water with mommy.

"I guess..." Raph smiled, resting Amy against his thighs so she was halfway in the water. He used a soft rag to wash her carefully, laughing when she tried to grab the bubbles with a determined expression on her face.

When Raph washed her face she frowned until her daddy nuzzled her freckled face. It made her giggle again.

"There, all clean my little princess." He carefully handed her to Donnie, who was waiting with a towel and a tender smile on his face. He also nuzzled his daughter's face before laying her down on the blanket and towel.

Since Nix was staying rather still aside from turning onto his stomach Donnie grabbed him next and handed him to Raph. Ky was already halfway off the blanket, so Donnie had to put him back with a small tickle of his bare feet.

"I'm gonna have to find a way to tie the socks to your feet, young man." he scolded playfully.

He dried off Amy then and put some cream on her skin before fastening her diaper again.

Meanwhile Raph and Nix were holding a staring contest in the tub. It was rather cute, the way he frowned just like Leo. Really, if it wasn't for the green eyes Nix would look exactly like their oldest mate.

The baby's frown would deepen when Raph touched him, squirming in place and kicking his feet. This was not his mommy. Mommy always cuddled him close and made funny noises. No, this was one of the other guys. That always tried to take away his mommy from him.

"God, it's like I'm bathing with Leo." Raph shook his head, and Donnie had to laugh when he looked up.

"Do you think Leo noticed the similarities too?"

"Probably not. But hey, at least he's not crying." His eyes widened, it was his own fault, he jinxed it. As if Nix understood, he started whining, tears starting to pool in his eyes as his bottom lip quivered. "Oh shell, no."

Raph quickly washed Nix' face and handed the wailing baby to Don, who glared at his mate, who gave a sheepish shrug.

Amy was playing with one of her socks, looking up when her younger brother was placed next to her. Donnie hurried up to get Ky in the tub too, but apparently bath time was one of the few things their eldest didn't like.

He kicked his feet and started wailing along with his brother. Raph blinked, at loss. What the hell? They never cried when Mikey and Leo bathed them!

Donnie made quick work of drying and creaming Nix and after fastening a diaper on him he scooped him up, resting him against his plastron so he could hear his heartbeat.

That worked for about three seconds until Nix realized this wasn't mommy's heartbeat. Meanwhile Ky was putting up quite a fight in the tub, stiffening, kicking, wailing. He almost dove under when Raph lost his grip on him.

Since her brothers were crying, Amy had to cry too. She didn't know what was wrong, but they would have a reason to cry.

"Donnie! What do we do?!" Raph panicked, holding Ky to his plastron. He always hated when all three of them cried at once.

"I have no idea!"

Their rescue came up the stairs. Leo and Mikey stood in the doorway, amused at the sight.

"Need help?" Mikey asked, the wide eyes of Raph and Don making him laugh.

At the sound of their mother, all three of the babies turned their heads. Nix' hand reached for Mikey, who took him with a smile. Leo held his hands out for Ky, and Raph handed him over quickly, while Mikey rubbed Amy's belly, which calmed her in seconds.

As soon as Ky was out of the water he calmed down, frowning down at the tub as he dug his fingers into Leo's arm.

"If you wanted to bathe them, you should've waited for us. We would've helped you." Leo chuckled at the flabbergasted looks of his middle brothers.

Raph got out of the tub, grabbing a fresh towel to rub himself dry.

"That's not fair, of course Nix was gonna freak without Mikey around." He grumbled, trying to save his hurt pride.

"He was doing fine until you washed him..." Donnie admitted, frowning at the tub.

"Okay, I admit, Nix is used to me when bathing." Mikey said, tickling the little one's chin to coax a small laugh out of him.

Then he was placed on the blanket on his belly, and Mikey stepped into the tub, turning on the cold water and destroying as much of the bubbles as he could.

"But it would've helped to know that Ky is scared of bubbles, and he doesn't like too warm water." he explained and turned off the faucet again, taking Ky from Leo. This time Ky didn't fuss, and even giggled when Mikey washed him.

"... At least we did it right with Amy." Raph pouted, hugging his girl close to his plastron. His eyes widened when she burped, the hot liquid from her stomach hitting his shoulder.

Leo had the decency to cover his mouth to muffle his amused sounds, while Mikey and Donnie outright laughed at him.


	4. Chapter 4

"Mommy's gonna be back soon, my sweetie-pies." Mikey cooed into the crib in their living room.

The babies were smiling widely at him, reaching for him and squirming with joy. "Aw, maybe I shouldn't go."

"It's fine, Mikey. We can handle them a few hours." Raph leaned against the back of the couch and rolled his eyes with good humor.

Kion had thought it would be good for Mikey to have a little time for himself, just a few hours.

Raph, Leo and Don had whole-heartedly agreed, none of them wanted him to exhaust himself so much again.

Elia was staying home with Telon, while Mike's mates would take care of the triplets. It was Bogen's day off, and he promised to stay with Kion and Mikey, to make sure they weren't attacked or anything.

"It's one thing to be gone an hour for grocery shopping, I'm not ready to leave them for longer." Mikey nuzzled Ky's face and tickled Nix' tummy, giggling when Amy grabbed his other hand to chew on his finger.

Leo shook his head with a chuckle and grabbed Mike's shoulders, steering him to the front door when their doorbell rang.

"It's only a few hours. Enjoy the freedom, get some ice-cream, think about yourself. Everything's gonna be fine."

Mikey sighed and returned the nuzzle Leo gave him before they opened the door. Kion greeted them with a grin and a wave, while Bogen just nodded.

Mike pouted as he looked back to the crib, whining when Kion grabbed his hand to pull him outside.

"Come on, Mikey, we're gonna have so much fun!" Bogen chuckled at his mate before turning to Leo.

"I'll have him back at six."

Leo nodded gratefully, waving a goodbye at Mikey's and Kion's retreating forms.

He closed the door with a sigh and smiled as he walked over to Raph and the crib. Nix was chewing on his snuggle blanket, while Ky had a tight grip on Raph's finger, also chewing.

"I think they're hungry." Leo mused.

"Donnie is already preparing their bottles. This is gonna be a piece of cake."

"He finally gone?" Donnie came inside, holding the three bottles. They split up the triplets, each feeding one.

Leo had Nix in his arms, the baby frowning at him as he ate, but he didn't cry. Slowly but surely he got used to being carried by them. Sure, he didn't like it, and he didn't smile at them, but – and that was a big achievement – he didn't freak out anymore.

"Yeah, he wanted to stay here, though."

"Kion will distract him enough. And it's not like we couldn't handle them. Especially since Nix got used to us."

For a few minutes it was really peaceful, the babies drank as their parents settled on the couch.

"Princess, stop chewing the bottle..." Raph frowned, trying to take the half empty bottle away. Amy pouted when she couldn't chew anymore and put her hand in her mouth, downright glaring at her daddy.

"Come on, Ky, eat." Donnie sighed, trying to get their firstborn to drink more of the formula, but the baby kept turning his head away. He grimaced and whined, kicking his feet in protest.

Nix was gnawing on his bottle quietly, only sucking every few seconds. When he was upright for a burp he looked around the living room over Leo's shoulder, frowning. He started to whine, some of his food spilling out when he burped.

"Why won't you eat? The bottle is always empty when mommy feeds you!" Donne frowned in frustration. He put the bottle down for a second to lift Ky to his plastron. Maybe a burp was bothering him already? But Ky just drooled on his shoulder as his mouth closed over the olive skin, the gums grinding on it.

Amy was kicking in Raph's arms now, trying to turn onto her belly and whining when her dad put her on his plastron too. He patted the small carapace rhythmically, but Amy whined, putting her fingers into her mouth.

Leo cleaned his youngest's mouth with the burp cloth. Nix worked his tiny body to look around with a frown, not accepting the bottle anymore. Where was his mommy? Why wasn't he here? His green eyes were wide and filled with tears as he looked up at Fafa.

Leo blinked at his son and put him on his plastron again, bouncing him before he could get himself worked into a crying fit.

"Nonono, Nix, it's okay... no need to cry..." He soothed when Nix whimpered.

Donnie trying to get the bottle into Ky's mouth again, cursing when the baby hit his hand with his wiggling, sending it tumbling to the ground. His cerulean eyes were rapidly filling with tears, surprising Donnie. Ky usually wasn't one to cry easily.

"Why won't you burp, princess? Come on, you have to or your tummy's going to hurt." Raph coaxed, sighing when he heard her burp. The relief turned to surprise when Amy started to cry.

Encouraged by their sister's wailing, Ky and Nix started wailing too.

"Don't cry!" Leo panicked, standing up to walk with Nix, bouncing him as he searched for Mike's sweater.

"What's wrong with them?" Raph asked with wide eyes, looking between Ky and Amy.

"No idea! They usually don't cry when we feed them!" Donnie was nuzzling Ky, trying to soothe him, but the baby was kicking and wailing, face red as fat tears ran down his cheeks.

"Oh my shell, the pullover isn't working!" Leo had the woolen sweater over his shoulder, Nix against it. The baby still cried as if he was being tortured.

**_xxxxx_**

"This is where I got Elia's headband from." Kion chatted happily, guiding Mikey to a shop.

"Aw! Look at this! Amy would look so cute in this!" The darker turtle grinned at Mikey's enthusiasm and pulled him inside the shop.

"Weren't you supposed to distract him?" Bogen followed with a suffering sigh, but had a smile on his face as he looked at a pink bracelet near the entrance.

"As if we'd let ourselves be distracted from our children." Kion said in a 'duh'-tone. "Here, you're gonna need a few of those soon." He grabbed a few rubber rings, putting them in a basket. Mikey frowned as he took one.

"What for?"

"They're gonna start teething soon. They can chew on them to relieve the pain. It's best if you put them into the fridge for an hour before that."

"Oh wow, thanks. What else can I use?" Mikey asked with wide eyes.

"Well, I massaged Elia's gums before feeding time until the first two teeth were out. After that hurdle it gets easier on them too."

They walked through the aisles. Kion smiled as he grabbed a few colorful plastic spoons. They were wide and short enough so a baby wouldn't be able to shove it far enough into its mouth to choke.

"You can start trying solid food when they're strong enough to sit. Until then you should let them play with a spoon so they can get used to the shape. They can also chew on them."

**_xxxxx_**

Leo, Donnie and Raph were all pacing the living room, bouncing their babies to get them to calm down.

Leo put Nix' pacifier in the infant's mouth, relieved when he quieted down, mouth working on chewing on the rubber. He was satisfied for the moment, looking up at Leo with wide eyes.

When Donnie had Ky upright again the baby started gnawing on his skin again with his gums, settling down when he found a good spot, drooling all over the shoulder.

"Oh my god." The genius chuckled as he shook his head. "I think they're teething!"

Raph frowned, putting his finger to Amy's mouth. She immediately accepted the digit, her jaw strong as her gums squeezed the finger.

"Does it hurt?" He asked, glad that the crying stopped for now.

"I guess, yeah. It's probably itching too." Donnie cradled Ky again and put his finger in the infant's mouth, massaging the gums with it. He grimaced a little with the drool running over his shoulder, but then couldn't help but smile at the content look on his baby's face.

"Try massaging their gums, it helps."

Raphael mimicked Donnie, chuckling when Amy practically crushed his finger in her mouth, gurgling happily.

Leo eyed their most difficult baby, meeting a stare that was so similar to his own. He seemed content with the pacifier, taking it away could start a crying fit.

As if Nix could hear his thoughts, he spit the pacifier out, not satisfied with the material to chew on. He began fussing already, prompting Leo to offer the tip of his finger.

The blue-banded turtle began putting pressure on the gums, pausing when he felt something.

"Hey, I think one is already poking out!" Leo exclaimed, feeling for the hard nub.

Nix hummed in appreciation. This one wasn't so bad. It wasn't his mommy, but he made the pain lessen.

Donnie came over, feeling for the tooth too. He grinned and nodded.

"Yep, that's a tooth. I guess that's why he's been so fussy the past days."

"He's always fussy with us." Raph commented, hissing at an especially hard squeeze of his daughter, who giggled around his finger when he frowned at her.

"Lately it's been worse. Even with Mikey."

Leo cooed at Nix, still working on the gums and was grinning from ear to ear when his youngest smiled at him.

"He smiled at me! Oh my shell, he's smiling! At me!" Leo paused when he realized he was acting like a schoolgirl. He cleared his throat with a blush, avoiding the smirks coming from his mates.

"I mean... looks like he's getting used to us."

Donnie and Raph exchanged amused grins, their babies gnawing happily on their fingers.

**_xxxxx_**

"I wonder how my babies are doing..." Mikey sighed, stirring the spoon in his cup of hot chocolate.

He had a large bag full of baby stuff, and after leaving the shop they decided to sit down for coffee/hot chocolate before resuming their shopping.

"The guys are great daddies, they'll take good care of them. Don't worry." Kion soothed, cursing when he burnt his tongue trying to sip from his tea.

Bogen tried to suppress a chuckle, earning a glare from his mate.

"What? I just think it's hilarious that _you_ tell him not to worry." The larger turtle turned to look at Mikey, an amused gleam in his eyes.

"When Elia was younger, Telon was taking care of her while Kion and I took the afternoon off, just like now, to reduce his stress. I had to cuff him to my wrist so he wouldn't sneak off to go back home."

Mikey couldn't help but giggle at the image, totally unfazed by his friend's glare.

"Oh shut up, I just didn't want to go to your stupid museum."

"Yeah, the museum _you_ picked." Bogen said dryly, ducking when Kion slapped the back of his head.

While their bickering was quite amusing, Mikey found his mind wandering. Something in his peripheral vision caught his attention. He frowned at the mouth of a dark alley, the afternoon sun barely reaching it.

His intuition told him he needed to go there, his ninja senses tingling. With a frown he got up.

"Where are you going?" Kion asked when Mikey took his first step.

"Uh, I just need to check something."

"You're not thinking about running off, are you?" Kion chuckled. "Bogen has his cuffs with him." The dark turtle tilted his head when Mikey barely reacted. Something seemed to be wrong.

Bogen grabbed his wrist before he could walk further.

"What is it?"

"That alley... I think someone is in trouble."

The two other turtles also twisted to look at said alley. Bogen grimaced and pushed Mikey to sit down.

"Stay here, I'm going to take a look."

"Bogen, I can help." The larger male rolled his eyes.

"I promised your mates I'd make sure nothing happens to you. Stay here." He waited for Mikey's reluctant nod before walking off to the direction of the alley.

Kion watched him go with an unhappy expression. He forced himself to relax, turning to look into his cup of tea.

"He's a cop. He's gonna be fine. He can take care of himself." He said more to himself, blinking when Mikey stood up again.

"Hey, he knows what he's doing. The guy's are going to kill him if you get hurt."

Mikey rolled his eyes. He had waited for Bogen to reach the alley before he made to follow him.

"I'm not going to get hurt." He said confidently. "Though my gut tells me _someone_ is."

Kion bit his lip in thought. "Okay, wait for me." The dark turtle quickly paid for their beverages and scooped up their bags. He had to hurry to catch up with Mikey.

Even though his mate was a cop, he couldn't help but worry.

"That alley leads to a dead end..." Kion muttered, recognizing the surrounding houses. "Shady businesses always take place there."

They heard a pained groan. Alarmed, they sped up towards the sound. Around the corner a heavily pregnant female ran to them, crying hysterically.

Mikey's eyes widened when he saw Naroy and Erion, both punching Bogen who tried his best to defend himself. However, with two against one...

The female babbled and cried, Kion trying to soothe her.

"Kion, get her to the hospital."

"But-"

"Go!" Mikey growled, not looking back as he approached the fight.

Erion was grabbing a pipe from the ground, a sick grin on his face. Blood was oozing from the corner of his mouth from where Bogen must've hit him.

Seeing the pipe, Mikey felt his stomach knot. Those bastards. From a dumpster close by hung a chain. He made short work of grabbing it.

"Hey!" He announced his presence. All three alphas turned to look at him. Naroy was holding Bogen's arms behind his back.

"Oh look, it's my cutie! All alone!" He grinned, pulling painfully on Bogen's arms. The cop's face was swollen on one side from a few punches, his other eye wide.

"Mikey, no! Run!"

"Shut up, cop." Erion snapped, cracking his neck from side to side. "Stupid of your idiot mates to let you wander around alone. So close to mating season."

"Let him go." Mikey demanded.

Erion slapped the pipe into his other palm, chuckling.

"Oh, I don't think you're in the position to demand something, babe."

"Leave him to me, Erion. The other bitch almost crushed my dick."

Mikey calmly played with the chain in his hands. The padlock hanging at one end was perfect.

"And it seems you still didn't learn your lesson. Maybe it would be best so castrate you once and for all."

Bogen blinked with his one good eye. Was he mental?! No wonder his mates were overly protective, apparently Michelangelo had no sense for self-preservation.

The two perverts laughed out loud. That little shit, a shuddering mess during their last encounter, was _taunting_ them?

"What, did the damsel in distress finally grow a pair?" Erion and Naroy laughed again, not noticing Mike's smirk.

Suddenly the pipe was pulled from Erion's hands as the chain wrapped around it. Mikey flung it to the side carelessly, before resuming his calm rotating with the weighted end of the chain.

Erion was the first to realize they might have a problem. He narrowed his eyes at the much smaller turtle.

"You know," Mikey started, coming closer, "the damsel has some sick moves. Without eggs weighing it down." The chain snapped forward again, wrapping around Naroy's leg and pulling it from under him.

The pervert hit the ground, Bogen using the chance to free himself.

Naroy tried to get up, but a good punch from the cop sent him to dreamland. Bogen used his handcuffs to tie him up. Once he was sure he wouldn't be able to free himself he turned around to attack Erion. However, he could only watch with wide eyes at the scene in front of him.

Mikey was a blur around Erion, dancing away from the kicks and punches directed at him, using a short held end of his chain to hit the darker green skin painfully. All the while the longer part of the chain wrapped around the larger turtle, as if it had a mind on its own.

Finally the chain tightened, surprising Erion. Mikey swept the idiot's feet from under him with his more slender legs. He grinned at his handiwork, the big turtle wrapped like a present with several dark bruises littering the skin.

As if on cue two other cops entered the alley.

"Bogen! What happened? Kion stopped us from patrol and said you needed help!"

They took in the scene, blinking when Bogen's beat up face turned to a laughing grimace.

"Your timing is horrible, guys. Call in back up, those are the perverts that were after the pregnant females and subs. They're gonna be locked away for a long time."

**_xxxxx_**

Donnie, Leo and Raph were sitting on the thick baby blanket in their living room.

They had pulled it to the window, where the afternoon sun was hitting them full force.

Ky and Amy were laying there completely still, having fallen asleep only minutes after being exposed to the sun. Nix was in Leo's arms, not affected by the warmth, but fussing at the light hitting his face. Leo smiled and scooted back so they were out of the sun.

"Mh, s'what I thought." Donnie found himself yawning. "Telon said something about the babies needing to bask from time to time. Until they're about two years old."

"Why only until then?" Raph rubbed his eyes.

"They need it so their bodies learn to regulate their temperatures right. After about two years they know how, that's why the other turtles in this dimension don't feel all that sleepy in the sunlight." Donnie explained, another yawn forcing its way past his lips. "Normal turtles bask all their lives." He supplied.

"They got the right idea... this feels nice..." Raph mumbled, finding himself laying down on his side, curling up around Ky.

Leo smiled at the sight. He watched Donnie also lay down on their babies' other side, trying to blink the drowsiness away.

With a quiet chuckle Leo got up with Nix in his arms, moving to the kitchen. Last year during spring and summer they didn't have time to just lay and bask, they've always been busy with work, their move, the pregnancy. It was such a cute sight, his mates on that blanket with their babies.

Leo found one of their old shellcells on the kitchen counter.

Donnie had modified them so they could be used as baby monitors too, but the camera was still working. Bouncing Nix in his other arm, he quickly made a few shots of the turtle pile on the blanket.

The infant in his arms was sucking on his pacifier again, eyes wide as he tried to grab the interesting device. Leo turned it around to snap a picture of Nix too. The green eyes blinked in irritation. Leo laughed quietly and nuzzled his son's little face.

The baby yawned, clearly tired, but wouldn't settle down. He twisted around in his father's arms, turning his head around to find his mother. Did he abandon them? Why wasn't he here?

Leo picked up the sweater from where he had flung it on the kitchen table earlier and hung it over his shoulder. This time Nix snuggled into it, his tiny hands holding tight onto the fabric.

Now that they all were asleep, Leo yawned too. He glanced at the clock, it was one hour before Mikey would be home again. There was no harm in laying down for a while.

He placed Nix on the blanket, so his head was out of the sun, and curled up around him. His legs entangled with Don's while his head rested on Raph's calf. He nuzzled the skin and felt himself dozing off.

**_xxxxx_**

"No seriously, you should've seen it. It was like watching a fly defeat a bull." Bogen was babbling to an amused Kion as they left the hospital.

Kion had insisted he'd let the wounds be treated, or Telon would've lectured his ass once they got back home.

"It was nothing. Back at home we'd fight way harder enemies."

"You were fighting crime back in your dimension?"

"Yeah, you could say that. Not like the police, though. We're ninjas. Shadow fighters."

Bogen shook his aching head with a chuckle.

"We could really use turtles like you on the force. It would make things so much easier."

Mikey grinned widely, and then shook his head. "The guys would trounce me if I became a cop. I can already see Raph and Leo's heads exploding."

"If you're such a good fighter, why are they so overly protective of you? Clearly you can take care of yourself." Kion asked, swinging his shopping bag while his other hand was in Bogen's grip.

His mate squeezed the hand, answering before Mikey could.

"Nah, I understand them. No offense, but even if you could fight like that, I wouldn't want you exposed to danger. Maybe it would make me feel better to know you _could_ defend yourself, but in the end I'd rather make sure you're save myself."

Kion frowned, both he and Mikey had a thoughtful expression on their face. Bogen sighed.

"Just imagine Elia," he looked at Mikey, "or Amy, Ky and Nix. Let's say they know how to fight and defend themselves. And they start roaming around alone while perverts or other crooks are out. Would you let them?"

Mikey clutched his bag of baby stuff to his chest at the thought. His babies, in danger?

"... We can't shelter them forever, though." Kion mumbled, but also couldn't help but agree to that. He'd want to stay close to his daughter wherever she went.

"Exactly. It's pretty hard finding the right balance. Think about that next time you scold us for being overprotective bastards."

"When you put it like that it kinda makes sense." Mikey admitted. Being the youngest he never had to think about that, he's always been babied and sheltered, even before they got together.

Now that he knew what it's like to have someone to look after, he finally understood how his brothers have been feeling all their lives.

They walked in silence for a while.

"So, now that the worrisome pervs are locked away, we could try for another baby, right?" Bogen spoke up.

"Did Telon set you up to this?" Kion deadpanned, frowning in annoyance.

"We talked about it months ago. He agreed to let up on it because we didn't want you to become a target to those perverts. In a few days the mating starts..."

"I told Telon before that Mikey and I want to be pregnant together. And he certainly won't have another baby just a few months after giving birth."

Mikey nodded, helping his friend.

"We got the suppressants from Telon, it's too soon. Maybe next year." He said, even though he was sure it won't be next year.

He still didn't know if his mates have been joking back then, but he had a say in this too. Being pregnant wasn't a walk in the park, he's been sore for over two months after laying the eggs, not to forget his horrible hormones, which he was _still _fighting to control from time to time.

Maybe, _maybe_ in three or four years. When he forgot how much it had hurt.

"Fine. Next year. You're lucky Telon's a doctor. Otherwise you wouldn't have another choice." Bogen shook his head, wincing at the spike of pain.

"What do you mean?" Mikey asked. Of course Kion had a choice. His friend sighed and rolled his eyes.

"I know. You stupid alphas have no idea what strain a pregnancy is."

"That's why the suppressants are free the first season after giving birth." Kion bumped his shoulder before turning to look at Mikey.

"The government is pro-baby. The mayor is striving for a bigger population, the snakes and rabbits are gaining the upper hand. Females get preservatives for free for a year so their bodies can recover. We are lucky that we can only be impregnated during the few hours of mating season. We get free heat suppressants for the mating cycle after giving birth."

Kion sighed.

"Telon is a doctor, and Bogen a cop. These are high-ranked jobs here. Because they'd be off duty for a while to be there for me and the baby, I get the suppressants until we decide to get another baby. You're lucky Donnie's working with Telon, that gives him a high rank too. Though I'm not sure if that's enough, because you have two other mates to take care of you."

Mikey blinked at that onslaught of information.

"Wait, so you're telling me that the turtles are forced to be pregnant?"

Kion averted his gaze.

"There's always a chance that the sperm doesn't reach the uterus. Or that the male isn't capable of impregnating, or the female is the problem." Bogen shrugged.

"There were several protest rallies the past years. Sure, the mayor does his best to help out. Why do you think baby stuff is so cheap? In school they get good meals, breakfast and lunch. There are many playgrounds and such. Those who are too old to get pregnant again or are infertile take over daycares, some are sent to private households to help care for twins, triplets, quadruplets, etc."

Kion explained.

"Still, it's not right to take that decision away from the parents. They should be able to decide whether they want more babies or not."

"... This is seriously twisted..." Mikey muttered, lost in thought. There was it, a downside to this dimension. He knew it. It was too good to be true. He was happy to have his children, but practically being forced to breed was really disconcerting.

"So... If Leo and Raph were cops, like you, I'd be..."

"Yeah. Do you think they'd be interested?" Bogen asked, perking up. He himself didn't mind the rule all too much.

"Oh, Raph would love to get some action I bet." Mikey sighed. "But I'm not sure about Leo. He loves the dojo."

Bogen scratched the back of his head in thought.

"Well, I could talk to the chief. Knowing how to fight would be a great advantage for our forces. Leo could teach the force at the dojo. He'd be part of the police, and still keep his other job. You know, one or two afternoons per week for the children, and the rest for us."

"That's possible?"

"I guess, yeah. Talk to them, and I'm gonna talk to the chief, and then we'll see."

**_xxxxx_**

Donnie was the first to blink awake when the sun had set. He sat up and rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

Amy was still sleeping peacefully, along with Raph, while Ky was cooing and trying to roll around in between him and Amy. His little bare feet kicked his dad's plastron from time to time, but the red-banded turtle slept like a rock.

Donatello scooped him up.

"You little rascal, are you trying to wake them up?" He said, grinning when Ky giggled cutely and reached for his beak. Donnie blew a raspberry on his belly, eliciting a delighted squeal from his oldest son.

"Uh-oh, someone needs a fresh diapy." He said, scrunching his beak at the smell.

He placed a few pillows from the couch to Amy's other side so she wouldn't roll off if she woke up. Though she seemed to have inherited Raph's ability to sleep through an explosion.

Wondering where Leo and Nix were, Donnie went upstairs. He peeked into their bedroom, smiling when he saw his oldest mate on the balcony. The genius stepped out too, after grabbing a blanket from their bag to wrap Ky in it, to protect him from the chilly spring breeze.

Leo glanced at him when Donnie stood next to him. Nix was still sleeping, wrapped snuggly in Mike's sweater.

"Done basking?" Leo teased, nuzzling his mate's face.

"Yeah. Raph and Amy are still sleeping like rocks." Donnie examined Leo's face. "What's wrong?"

"It's already half past six. Mikey should've been home half an hour ago."

Donnie blinked and squinted to see the big clock on the city hall in the distance.

"I'm sure he's alright. Kion and Bogen are with him. Maybe they got distracted in a shop or something."

"The shops close at six, Donnie..."

"Then maybe they're getting dinner. Come on. Ky needs a fresh diaper. And by the smell of it, Nix too."

Leo sighed, but followed his brother to their changing table. While Donnie changed Ky's diaper, Leo unwrapped Nix and put the sweater to be washed later.

The infant fussed when he woke up. Sure, he's got a clean diaper now, but he finally wanted his mommy. Why was he still not here? The other warm turtle looked worried. It scared Nix.

He started wailing, not reacting to the pacifier or Leo's finger. He's been patient for so long, he wanted his mommy! Now!

Ky watched his brother with wide eyes little hand reaching out for him. Nix whimpered at the touch and stared at his older brother next to him on the changing table. Then he cried out loud again.

As if they've been communicating mutely Ky wailed along with him.

Donnie and Leo looked at each other with a sigh and scooped them up. Leo grabbed the jacket from the rocking chair, making a mental note to scold Mikey for leaving without it, and tried to soothe Nix with it. However, the infant didn't care for the jacket. He was no fool! This wasn't his mommy!

Ky really liked his daddy, papa and fafa. He really did. But he hasn't seen his mommy in a long time. Where was he? Did he leave forever? His brother seemed to think so.

From downstairs another wail joined theirs. Leo and Donnie carried their babies downstairs, where a sleepy looking Raph was sitting on the blanket, trying to soothe their daughter.

"Come on, princess. It's not so bad." He massaged her gums, but she continued to cry, edging her head away.

He looked up when his mates came in, glancing at the clock.

"Where's Mikey?"

"Not home yet. I swear, if something happened to him I'm gonna castrate Bogen." Leo spat.

Raph got up, heart pounding with worry as he looked through the window.

"Do you think something happened?"

The babies' cries grew more high-pitched, their faces reddening. Donnie blinked down at Ky in his arms.

"Guys, calm down. Your worrying makes them even more anxious."

When the front door opened, all of them hurried to their hallway. Mikey blinked at their bewildered faces and at the crying babies.

Raph was about to blow when he caught a glimpse of Bogen's beat up face. His heart dropped into his stomach.

Donnie's eyes were already scanning Mikey for injuries, but he appeared to be fine.

"Sorry I'm late... we got a little... caught up." Mikey said, putting the shopping bag to the side.

At the sound of his voice the babies ceased their crying, all of them reaching out to him. Mikey forgot all the worry he had for his mates' wrath at the sight.

"Aw my babies, mommy's here." He cooed, grabbing Amy as Raph was standing closest to him.

"What happened?" Leo asked, finally finding his voice again as he tried to calm Nix.

"Eh yeah, let's sit down and we'll talk." Bogen nodded towards the living room.

Mikey settled down on the blanket on the ground with the babies, all three of them making noises as if telling him how worried they were.

Donnie handed Bogen an ice-pack before sitting down next to Leo. Raph was staying by Mikey, an arm around him while the smaller male tended to their babies.

"Mikey had a gut feeling about an alley." Kion started, and the three banded turtles narrowed their eyes at their youngest brother. Of course.

"I told him to stay put and went to have a look. Those perverts we've been hunting for a few months now were molesting a pregnant female. I fought them, but they overwhelmed me." Bogen explained.

"We followed him, and when the female came, crying, I brought her to the hospital. On the way I met two other cops patrolling and told them to help Bogen." Kion continued.

"Mikey stood there with a chain from a dumpster and went ballistic on them. I've never seen something like this." Bogen chuckled at the memory. "Thanks to him we managed to bring them in. And well, Kion insisted I go to the hospital. That's why we took so long."

"So you're not hurt?" Leo asked, directed to Mikey. Raph's grip tightened when Mikey sighed.

"No, I'm completely fine. They are worse fighters than the Purple Dragons. Dee beat them up last time, he knows how stupid they are."

Don's mouth twisted at the reminder, but he nodded. And Mikey has even had a weapon. He and his mates sighed in relief.

Mikey chuckled, cooing at the babies.

"Psh, your daddies are worrywarts. Mommy's totally fine." The babbling from his kids almost sounded like they were scolding him. As if they could understand him, they frowned and squealed.

Mikey mimicked their frown, tilting his head.

"... Are they... scolding me?" Mikey asked in disbelief.

"You bet they do. You scared the shit out of us." Raph's grip tightened around him. Mikey felt the worry ooze from all of them and smiled, snuggling into Raph's embrace.

"I'm sorry." He soothed. With how edgy he's been lately, he should've exploded from their stupid overprotectiveness. They can see he's fine, and still they're so high-strung. Still he couldn't help but find it funny. After that talk with Bogen, he felt he understood them a little better now.


	5. Chapter 5

"This is really not dangerous?" Leo asked from his place by the crib. He had one of their chairs pulled up so he could keep an eye on their kids as they played with the baby-spoons.

Donnie chuckled, putting his book away in favor of twisting to look at his oldest mate.

"Yes, I'm sure. Sides, with you hovering over them like this, nothing's gonna happen."

Amy examined the spoon she's been given, a concentrated expression on her face. She studied the object as if it held the world's secrets. She put one end into her mouth, chewed one or two times before pulling it out again to resume watching. She was such a curious little thing. Like Donnie, Leo thought with a smile.

Nix was laying on his carapace, kicking his feet and gnawing on the spoon relentlessly. His eyes were on the stars and moon hanging above him, though he sometimes turned his head when Ky or Amy made noise. They've been making sounds, mostly hums and squeals, and lately they began cooing vowels between their hums.

It was such a cute thing, to see them "talk" to each other.

Ky's spoon was laying by his side, the boy rather interested in lifting his head and shoulders. His tongue was sticking out, drool running over his cheek as he strained.

They all were able to hold their own heads for a longer time now. Ky was a master of rolling and shifting, not quite crawling yet but he was close, far ahead of his siblings as Donnie mentioned.

Amy was content whenever she was on her belly, she didn't move all that much aside from that. Though she really enjoyed when you played with her.

Nix moved more than Amy. He reacted to sounds. Whenever he heard his parents talk, he'd work his little body to shift towards the sound. His mommy's voice was his favorite, of course.

Lately he's become more and more used to his daddies, accepting them holding him, even smiling when they made funny noises. It seemed to make them happy.

Ky's concentrated expression turned to surprise when a hand on his carapace shoved him into a sitting position. His eyes followed the arm to his daddy, who smiled at his face.

"Raph, is this a good idea?" Leo asked, biting his lip.

"Chill, Leo. I'm holding him. Happy now, my little rascal?" Raphael cooed the last part at his firstborn, who watched his surroundings in amazement. This view was fantastic! Everything looked different!

"He shouldn't strain his spine so much..."

Donnie came over, settling on Leo's lap and leaning his elbows on the side of the crib.

"It's a good workout for him. Not more than five minutes at a time, though." He grinned at the happy expression their eldest made. He would've lost his balance if it wasn't for Raph holding him up.

"Ffffffffff..." Tiny droplets of spit hit Raph's hand from where Nix lay next to Ky. The youngest was twisting his mouth around the spoon, pulling it out to play with the funny sound he just learned making. "Ffffffffffffff..."

Donnie laughed at Raph's expression, using a cloth to wipe Nix' drool away.

"F is a hard letter." He commented, delighted when Nix smiled at him when he tickled his neck. "Could be 'Fafa' is going to be his first word."

Leo grinned at the thought. Despite the – in his eyes – stupid name, he was excited that one of his children could be saying it.

"Mmmmm..." Amy responded to her little brother's cooing, shaking her spoon with wide eyes.

"Aa... Aaaa... Aaaaa..." The three adults couldn't help but chuckle at Ky's input. It was as if they were really talking to each other.

"Okay, dinner's in the oven, we have half an hour. The bottles are warming up." Mikey announced as he entered the living room, the smell of baking lasagna following him.

He gasped in an exaggerating way at seeing Ky upright. "Is my little Ky sitting?" The baby squealed in happiness and reached for him.

Mikey took him and nuzzled his face, laughing when Ky grabbed at his cheeks.

"Mmm." Ky hummed.

"Aaaa...Aah." Nix responded before working his tongue around the spoon again. "Ffff..."

"When do you think they start talking for real?" Raph asked with a smile, his heart jumping in joy at the peaceful time with his family.

"Oh, I guess they're going to start sounding out some simple syllables soon. Da, Ma, Fa, Ba, things like that. Real words... oh, maybe in another two months at best. When they're about a year they're gonna start using words and _understanding_ what they mean."

"Dad said you skipped the babbling altogether. He was worried you were mute, and then you simply blurted out the word 'Purple', like a boss." Leo remembered, eyes a little misty, but he was smiling.

Donnie giggled at the memory, leaning back to snuggle to Leo. "Yeah... he said we were watching Barney, and Mikey kept calling wrong colors. Ello, Boo, Geen."

Mikey outright laughed. He couldn't remember doing that, but he could totally imagine his little self doing that. He set Ky to lay on his carapace again, picking up Nix when he reached for him.

"I was the first to talk, he always told me."

"Yeah, and you never shut up since." Raph chuckled and neatly out-stepped Mike's kick.

"You're lucky I'm holding a baby."

"_You're_ lucky we had those heat suppressants. With being as abstinent as we've been for whole _months_, we would've pounded you into oblivion." Raph snickered.

"You _did_ pound me into oblivion once mating season was over. Twice." Mikey shook his head.

"Hey, it was the first time the kids slept for four hours straight, gotta use every chance for some nookie." Raph tilted his head to not-so-subtly check out Mikey's behind. "Speaking of..."

"Why don't you go get their bottles?" Mikey suggested with a glare, startled when all three of his mates burst out laughing. "What?"

"Nix!" Leo chuckled out, holding onto Donnie so he wouldn't fall off his lap as they shook with laughter.

"He was looking at your face and when you glared he just... mimicked it!" Raph laughed.

Mikey looked at Nix, who was chewing on the spoon again, meeting his mommy's gaze with wide eyes. Mikey wrinkled his beak before glaring at Nix playfully, the baby watching his face before also glaring.

Michelangelo couldn't help but laugh too, cuddling his youngest close, making him giggle.

"Aw, aren't you a cute little turtle? Mommy loves you all so much." Mikey cooed.

"Mm. Aaaaa. Mm. Maaaah. Mm." They all looked into the crib, where Amy was furrowing her brow in concentration. "Maaah. Mmm. Maah."

Donnie scooped her up, amused by how her concentrated face never faltered. He set her on his lap, holding her upright with his plastron and hands on her sides.

"Good work, princess. You're almost there." He coaxed with a grin.

Raph went to get their bottles when she was quiet, bottom lip sticking out in frustration. When he came back, Donnie took one of the bottles, trying to feed Amy as he cradled her in his arms now.

Raphael held out his hands to Nix, who stared at him with a blank expression, before hesitantly reaching out for him. His daddy grinned in triumph and started feeding the baby.

Since Leo still had Don and their daughter on his lap Mikey took a hold of his eldest again, giggling when he tried to sit up again. He accepted the bottle after a few moments, watching Mikey expectantly.

"Yeah, yeah. I know, talking time. Uh... oh, fafa's first word was 'Daddy', which made my daddy pretty proud. And your daddy's first word was 'Donnie'. Because your papa was following him around all day." He began talking and pacing, aware of his mates watching him.

When he told them they had to talk to Ky to get him to finish all of his bottle, they thought he was crazy. Until they tried.

Amy twisted her head away from the bottle. Usually she always finished it, never fussing during feeding time. "Mmm. Maah." She babbled again, edging away from the bottle. She wanted to get this out now! She knew she was almost there. She looked to where she heard her mother's voice, seeing him pace.

"And mommy's first word, believe it or not, was 'no'. Your grandpa told me, at that time I was always clinging to fafa, and fafa was trying to make him proud, so he always followed daddy and papa, and when daddy would do something he was not allowed to, he would always shake his little finger, like grandpa always did, and said 'no'."

He laughed at the image. It felt really good to talk about their childhood, when Splinter was still alive. They all missed him greatly, but it had something therapeutic to talk about it.

"Mah-maaah."

The adult turtles looked at Amy in surprise, their little trip down memory lane forgotten.

"Huh. That sounded like-"

"Mahmah. Mamaaaah. Mamamam. Mamah." Amy sounded out the word in various versions over and over again.

Mikey squeaked. Donnie blinked in surprise and got up from Leo's lap. He held Amy up under her arms and tilted his head. She was quiet, aside from burping into his face. He deadpanned.

"Did you say momma?" he inquired, nuzzling her. She just giggled, happy she managed to get the word out the way she wanted.

"Come on, say it again."

Mikey put the empty bottle away and held Ky upright so he could burp as he walked over, leaning his head on Donnie's shoulder.

"Don't pressure her, she did awesome!" He cooed, smiling at his daughter.

"Mama." She said in a cute voice, her little hand reaching out to him. Mikey felt tears blur his vision immediately, his chest tingling from that simple gesture.

Leo, face in a wide smile, grabbed Ky from Mikey so the freckled turtle could take Amy. He hugged the girl close to his chest, smiling despite the tears running down his face.

"Mama. Mama. Mama." Amy cooed over and over, giggling at the way he was hugging and nuzzling her.

Donnie pulled over a chair for Mikey to sit down and shook his head in astonishment.

"She already recognizes him as her 'Mama'. This is great... she's probably pretty far, mentally speaking."

"She's a little brainiac, like you, babe." Raph grinned, while Mikey could only hold onto his little daughter. _His_ baby.

The hothead looked down on Nix, who was lifting his head to watch the scene. When he couldn't hold himself up any longer he settled against Raph's arm again, frowning up at him.

"So, when are you gonna talk, lil guy?" Raph teased, getting an exasperated huff from his youngest. "Shell Leo, he's so much like you it's ridiculous."

He held Nix under his arms too, trying to nuzzle his face to get a giggle out of him. He wasn't prepared for the baby spit hitting his face.

"Ffffffff."

Leo and Donnie laughed, Ky giggling along with Nix at the funny face their daddy was making.

"This. This just strengthens my theory that it's a miniature Leo. He just loves to annoy me." Raph grumbled without heat and handed the baby to Donnie so he could wipe the spit from his face.

**_xxxxx_**

So Leo agreed to join the police force's training system. He took up on the offer after they all had discussed it, to train the cops and recruits in martial arts.

It was a great job offer, with a great payment and Bogen assured him there were many other pros.

Raph had been a tough cookie. Mikey thought he would've loved to jump the chance for some action. However, becoming a full time cop would mean less time at home, sometimes night shifts.

And apparently, without his frustrations of having to hide in the sewers or the Foot and Purple Dragons agitating him, he was a big softy. Not even baiting him with telling him _how much of a softy_ he's become worked.

After a long – a very long – talk they agreed on something.

Leo with his big wealth of patience would be at the dojo from 8am to lunch time to train the new recruits, every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

And Raph with his muscles and gruff nature, would lead a course for the experienced cops, like Bogen every Tuesday and Thursday.

Tuesday and Thursday afternoon stayed for the children, where Leo and Raph would both attend because of the kids' different level of age and skill.

That meant Mikey would be alone with the kids for about an hour every Tuesday and Thursday, until Donnie would come home.

Mikey's tongue stuck out as he bent over the whiteboard on the kitchen island he was drawing and writing on. He was trying to work out a schedule for them. Fixed times for grocery shopping, bath times for the babies, and so on.

Satisfied with his work, he held up the board.

"Raphie!" Mikey shouted over to the living room. Their babies were awake anyways. In fact, Ky was grabbing on his toes. Their firstborn was really far with his motoric skills. Telon assured them that it was perfectly normal, that their babies were all like that.

"What is it?" Raph almost fell over Nix, who had been shifting by the door, but caught himself before he fell or trampled on him.

"Can you hang this up? There."

Raphael frowned as he stepped closer.

"What is this?"

"A timetable. So we can manage our lives properly." The green eyes fixated him with a wary frown.

"Did you turn into Leo?"

"No... I just thought it would be good. And I was bored. So shut up and do what I told you to." He stuck out his tongue cheekily and scooped up Ky before Raph would fall over him too.

By the door he picked up his youngest, carrying them both to the living room, where he put them in their crib.

He frowned when he didn't see Amy anywhere.

"Raph, where's Amy?"

Mikey heard Raph shuffle around in the hallway, fiddling with the gate on the stairs to the basement.

"She was on the blanket."

Since the blanket was empty, Mikey sighed and went on all fours.

"Aaaamy! Where's my little princess?" He cooed.

"Mama!"

Her cute little voice came from under the dining table, along with an unhappy squeal. Mikey crawled over, laughing when he saw his daughter's predicament. She had rolled and shifted, uncoordinated enough to land herself between the legs of the chairs. And now she didn't know how to get out again.

She started to cry when trying to roll over didn't work with these stupid wooden bars!

Mikey bit his lip to stop laughing and hurried to get her out from under the table and chair. He bounced her soothingly, kissing her temple.

"There, all good."

"Mama." She whined and hid her face in his shoulder.

"Yeah, you're tired baby. Here we go." He put her on her stomach in the crib. Automatically her hand came to her mouth, her single bottom tooth scraping against the skin as she put the knuckle of her index finger in, her eyes growing heavy.

Ky yawned cutely, smiling when Mikey bent down to kiss his forehead and cooing a few sleepy "O"s.

Nix was sucking on his pacifier, eyes examining the stars and moon he loved so much. Mikey pulled the curtains by the crib so it was a little darker, the babies growing more tired by the familiar routine before nap-time.

Making sure Raph was still in the basement, looking for tools to fix the board on the wall, Mikey started humming a lullaby.

He didn't remember the words Splinter sang to them, but the melody was burnt into his memory forever. He made up his own version for the lyrics, modifying them to fit his babies.

Mikey made sure to include all of their names, tickling their toes when he sang each name. It was such a cute sight to see them wiggle sleepily, but in anticipation when he sang, knowing what was coming at certain parts of the song.

Eventually they all fell asleep, and Mikey continued to hum the last part of the song until he was sure they were deep in dreamland.

"That was really nice." Mikey jumped at the comment and glared at Raph, a hand over his heart. The taller male walked over with a softened version of his smirk, nuzzling the side of Mike's face.

"You weren't supposed to hear it." Mikey admitted with a sigh.

"Why not? Mommy singing her babies to sleep. Perfectly normal."

"It's kinda embarrassing. I feel like a woman when I do that."

"Yeah, because it's such a manly thing to press out eggs of your ass." Raph grunted when Mikey punched his side and stomped off. "What?!"

**_xxxxx_**

"The mayor was at the dojo today..." Leo started when they all sat together for dinner. Their babies were put to sleep, so they had at least four hours of peace and calm ahead of them.

"Really? What did he want?" Donnie asked, sipping from his water.

"He talked to me about Raph's and my decision to work for the police."

His mates frowned.

"Why? The chief said it was a good idea..."

"Oh it is. The mayor approves that they learn a proper way to fight criminals. He's just not happy we're both part of the force."

Raph put his fork down and tilted his head. Mikey felt his intuition kicking in. Uh-oh.

"Are you kidding me? What's it to him?" Leo briefly glanced at Mikey before he answered.

"He not-so-subtly tried to tell me that one of us should stay home with Mikey."

"What? Did you tell him that he's alone for one hour, tops? And only two days a week?" Donnie inquired, while Raph shook his head.

"No, wait. It's none of his fucking business anyways. He's the mayor, not family."

"He hinted at the possibility of more children, and that Mikey would need help."

"I still don't get why he thinks it's his business... And he knows mating season is over, right?"

Leo shrugged, a troubled frown on his face.

"I told him that. He said I should think about it, and left. I asked one of the recruits, and he explained it to me..."

"Explained what?" Raph asked, agitated that the mayor tried to meddle with their life and choices.

"Apparently it's forbidden to take heat suppressants or preservatives. The only time they're allowed is up until a year after the female, or sub as they call the males, gave birth."

"So that's what Telon meant when he talked about the unfair treatment..." Donnie frowned. "The females and subs are basically forced to breed." Leo nodded, continuing his explanation.

"If the female's or sub's mate or mates are in a high-ranked job they are allowed to take the suppressants, so the alphas can concentrate on the job. The police seems to qualify as a higher rank, from what I've gathered."

Mikey sighed, shoving his plate away. "Donnie too. He almost counts as doctor already since he's Telon's apprentice."

"How do you know this?"

"Um... Bogen and Kion explained it to me about a month ago. I didn't..." He sighed again. "I didn't want to be forced to get more children before we, before _I_ am ready. So I thought, if you joined the police, I'd be spared."

"Oh Mikey..." Leo pulled Mike's chair closer and pulled him into his lap, nuzzling him and letting out a few soothing clicks that he picked up in this dimension.

"Kion told me the mayor could dislike the idea of all of you working in these jobs. Because I bore triplets. It would be a shame if I didn't get more kids every two years, to stock up on the population."

Raph reached over the table to grab Mikey's hand, while Don scooted over to add himself to the hug.

"Why didn't you just tell us? We would've accepted Bogen's offer immediately. We're not going to_ force_ you to get another child when you're not ready."

Donnie kissed Mikey's temple and cheek. "Even though we wouldn't mind having more. We would love to, to be honest, but only when we're all ready." He assured, smiling encouragingly at his younger mate.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I was just... I don't know. Scared. Because... shell, it sounds so dumb."

"It's okay, baby, take your time." Leo calmed, massaging the sea-green neck to soothe him.

Mikey took a deep breath. What was he afraid of? His brothers would never force him into anything. He always trusted them.

"When they told me about this, it felt like... like Bogen didn't really _care_, you know?" He rubbed his forehead, trying to explain it.

"I mean, I know he and Telon love Kion and care deeply about him. But Bogen didn't seem bothered at all by the way the whole pregnancy matter was handled. Kion was clearly upset, but from the way he acted I gathered that this was _normal_."

Donnie nodded in understanding, a thoughtful expression on his face.

"Telon was eager to get another kid, even though he told me about how Kion downright refused. It was like he didn't care if Kion wanted it or not."

"The thing is," Mikey continued, "that this is the norm here. Sure, the females and subs are treated equally in most matters, the only exception is this. And they are forbidden to take high-ranked jobs, unless they're infertile or too old."

Mikey bit his lip.

"I thought, since we also reacted to mating season, and we took over some of their other quirks, like the chirping and clicking and what-not... I thought you'd take on this carelessness too. That you're gonna pressure me into getting more children."

Raph slapped down his hands on the table as he got up. He rounded the table until he was with this mates. His hands were gentle, though, as they tilted Mike's face up to meet his'.

"Mikey. We would never, _never_ pressure or force you into anything you're not comfortable with. No matter where we are. And we certainly won't let a crazy mayor dictate our family plans."

Mikey sniffed and nodded, returning the nuzzle Raph gave him. Leo and Donnie tightened their holds, now both chirping.

"It's not like I don't want any more children, really. Just... not so soon. I hated the exhaustion and aches it brought, the hormone overload, the vulnerability, the... the fear that maybe the next egg won't survive. I can't do that again. Not now." Mikey couldn't stop the tears that ran down his cheeks now.

Sure, the pregnancy had some upsides too, but with how his hormones have been the past months he only saw the downsides. He still had nightmares about Nix not making it.

He let himself be held in his mates' arms, drawing comfort from their closeness.

"Don't worry, sweetheart. The mayor can't fire us, so you're save from being forced. And we will never change, we will keep loving you just like we did all our lives, okay?" Donnie smiled as he wiped the tears away.

Mikey let out a mixture between a sob and a chuckle and nodded. They should be sick of him with how sensitive he was. Another downside.

However, they were smiling softly at him, not an ounce of annoyance visible.

"I love you three so much." He purred involuntarily at the three-way nuzzle on his head and neck. A gesture to show him how much they loved him too.

Leo glanced at the clock and squeezed Don's shoulder.

"We have some time until they start waking up again. Why don't we relax in the hot tub for a while?"

The thought of cuddling – and more – with all his mates in their hot tub down in the basement was enough to get a churr out of Mikey. Raph grinned, relieved that they resolved another problem.


	6. Chapter 6

"They don't need a jacket. Shell, will you calm down? You're even giddier than Mikey on a sugar rush!"

"I can't help it! Their first time outside..." Leo bit his lip, putting bottles, cloths, more and more diapers into a baby bag.

"Leo. Hey. Look at me." Raph grabbed his face and pressed a kiss to his lips. "We're just across the street, only sitting on the grass for maybe an hour or two. If we need anything, we can get it in less than a minute."

The older turtle sighed. And took another breath. "Okay. I know. I'm calm. Nothing's gonna happen." Raph couldn't help but chuckle.

As calm and collected their leader could be, sometimes he was just a big package of anxiety.

It was a nice Sunday in May, the triplets were a little over six months old now. Since all of their babies have mastered sitting up on their own now, they thought it would be nice to take them outside for the first time.

"Are you coming? What are you doing anyways?" Donnie's voice from downstairs reached them.

"I'm packing a baby bag!" Leo shouted back.

Down in the hallway Donnie rolled his eyes, adjusting the bag he was carrying. "Mikey and I have a bag here, ready to go. Come on, Kion and the others are waiting."

"Are my sweeties ready for their first trip outside?" Mikey asked out loud in the living room.

He and Donnie had fed the babies, and changed their diapers already, while Leo and Raph had been busy with whatever upstairs.

Ky eagerly crawled over to Donnie in a really fast pace. Out of his siblings, he was the only one already crawling. He was so eager to move, solely concentrating on that. He had yet to say his first real word, though.

Meanwhile Amy was the least mobile. She kept sitting up or laying on her belly, content to examine every possible surface and object. Lately she became engrossed with the couch, eyes wide when her palm went over the fabric to the leather bottom part. Aside from perfecting the word "Mama" to "Mommy" she didn't say much more, though she referred to the others as Da, Ba and Wa, since 'F' was too hard for her.

Nix wasn't crawling yet, but he shifted on the smooth surface to wherever he wanted to be. Mostly that 'wherever' was wherever one of his parents was. He'd hear their voices and babbled along, laughing a real laugh when they paid attention to him.

Lately he's managed to say "Fafa", his first real word. He even looked at Leo the first time he said it, but he used it for many other objects too. "Foo", meaning food probably, was the only other coherent word.

"Mommy!" Amy squealed when Mikey picked her up.

"Yeah my sweetie, we're going outside." Mikey chuckled, simply handing her to Leo when he and Raph came down the stairs.

"Now where is Nix...?"

He and Raph split between the kitchen and living room to search for the youngest, while Leo and Donnie waited with the other two in the hallway.

"Phoenix! Where's my little baby?" Mikey called, hoping to coax the little one out of hiding.

"We seriously need to tie bells around their wrists or something..." Raph muttered.

The past weeks they lost track of one of their babies a total of five times. Usually it was Ky, with his speed and lack of desire to start talking he was always hard to find when out of sight.

"It's a baby... where could he be?" Donnie frowned, adjusting his grip on Ky when the baby wiggled in his arms.

"Wait... didn't you take him with you when you came up to me?" Leo asked Raph, who paused in his search.

Mikey glared at both him and Leo.

"Are you seriously telling me you _forgot_ our baby upstairs?!"

Donnie took a step back with Ky, staying behind his older mates as he tried not to laugh. He wasn't too worried, the doors to the other rooms and the bathroom was closed, there were security locks everywhere, he wouldn't be able to hurt himself.

Mikey was about to start a lecture, but caught himself and just turned around, jumping over the gate so he could get his youngest. All the while grumbling about stupid mates.

"Mommy!" Amy giggled, delighted when Donnie joined her laugh.

"Yeah, mommy can be scary..." Raph muttered with a frown.

"Aw guys, come look at this!"

The three adults exchanged looks before making their way upstairs. Mikey was in their bedroom on all fours, staring at something under the bed.

Curious, his mates followed, keeping a tight grip on Ky and Amy so they wouldn't wander off.

"So_ that's_ where your sweater went." Leo remarked, a tender smile on his face.

Nix had crawled under the bed, where Mikey had hidden his sweater, and curled up to it. He wasn't sleeping, just snuggling it and cooing, nuzzling the soft fabric.

"Phoenix, my little sweetheart, are you cuddling mommy's sweater?" Mikey asked, trying not to squeal and stuck his upper body as far as he could under the bed to reach his baby.

At the close sounding voice of his mother Nix looked up, squealing when he saw him. "Mah!"

"Yes, it's mommy. Now come here, baby, our friends are waiting in the park for us." Mikey stretched his arms and wiggled his fingers.

Nix laughed and worked his little body, shifting close enough to Mikey so he could grab him. The baby nuzzled his beak. "Mmmm. Mah."

"You got him?" Raph asked, hands on Mikey's ankles.

"Yup."

Raph pulled his youngest mate out from under the bed, chuckling at the "Woooosh!" Mikey let out and the surprised expression on their baby's face at the action.

"Let's go, we let them wait long enough." Donnie smiled.

A few minutes later they all sat on a blanket in the park. Raph and Bogen were by the swings with Elia, talking about whatever.

Amy sat half on the blanket, half on the grass and was engrossed with the different textures. Her little hands moved from side to side, her eyes wide with curiosity.

"When she makes that face she looks just like you, Donnie." Telon chuckled, reaching out to bop her beak.

The baby stared at him with a horrified expression, eyes filling with tears. She twisted her upper body and reached for Mikey.

"Mommy!"

Donnie couldn't help but laugh at the display, and Leo's worried face. Mikey pulled the girl on his lap, where she buried her face in his plastron.

"Aw, what is it honey? Telon is not so scary." He tried to soothe, tickling her chin with a smile.

"She was always wary with strangers." Donnie explained with an apologetic smile, while Leo kept putting Ky back on the blanket when he crawled too far off.

Telon chuckled. "Yeah, at this age it's worst. Elia always bit my aunt's finger when she'd come too close."

Kion held one of the stuffed bears out to Nix, sending a sideways glance at his mate. "In Elia's defense, _I_ would've bit her finger too if she tried to touch me."

Nix looked between the bear and Kion, face in a frown that matched Leo's usual expression to a T. Right now Leo was really busy making sure Ky wasn't crawling out of sight.

"In my aunt's defense, you'd bite everyone you don't like." Telon rolled his eyes, trying to tickle Nix, who glared at him so darkly the doctor scooted back a few inches.

"I can't really say if that's more Leo's or Raph's face." Mikey said from where he was leaning over. At the sound of his voice, Nix smiled again.

"Mah." The green-eyed baby cooed. Mikey smiled and settled to lay on his side, propped up on his elbow.

Amy was sitting on the blanket again, though she moved to the edge again, pausing to sit and look up at Donnie. When he smiled at her, she giggled and threw up her arms. "Ba!"

Donnie teasingly pushed her back on her carapace and tickled her sides, making her squeal and laugh.

"They're so cute..." Telon sighed, resting his head on Kion's shoulder as they watched the babies move around and babble. "I want another." He whined. Kion rolled his eyes pushed the bear in his mate's face. He was seriously not in the mood to ruin his day with that talk. Again.

That action made Nix laugh, though he shied away when Telon tried to give him the bear.

"Fafa!" He cooed, working his little arms. His eyes widened in surprise when he lost his balance and fell backwards.

Leo caught him and lowered him gently so he wouldn't hurt his head. In his other arm he held a fussing Ky.

This funny green stuff tickled, he wanted to explore! Why won't fafa let him?

"Mommy, I hungry!" Elia yelled as she ran over on her short legs. She squealed in laughter when Telon caught and tickled her.

Raph and Bogen settled down on the blanket too, exchanging grins.

"What's so funny?" Kion asked, eyes narrowed in suspicion as he gave Elia some cut-up apple.

"Nothing." Bogen smirked.

"Oh, can we try that fruit mush again?" Raph asked from his spot next to Leo, taking Ky from him. The older turtle shook his head at him.

"You just want to sneak a few bites."

"Me? Never." Raph pretended to be insulted. Nobody was convinced.

Donnie rummaged through their baby bag and pulled out a jar of peach-banana mush. He opened it and handed it to Leo, along with a spoon and a cloth.

"Babies eat?" Elia asked around her piece of apple, content sitting on her dad's lap.

"If they want to, yes." Mikey answered, watching in amusement how Leo tried to feed Ky, while Raph held him.

It was so cute watching Leo open his eyes and mouth wide every time he brought he spoon to Ky's lips. Raph chuckled at the close-up show, but Ky tried to mimic the face of his fafa and opened his mouth wide.

It was already the fourth time they tried with solid food, so the boy knew what was coming. Surprisingly he enjoyed the mush way more than his bottle. Only very little went down his chin and Raph's arm.

However, after about six to eight spoons they had to stop. The last time he almost had half the jar and they spent the whole evening trying to soothe his aching belly due to gas.

Raph used the cloth to clean their firstborn, before letting him on the grass again. Seeing Leo tense, Raph laughed and went on all fours, crawling next to his son so he wouldn't get himself in trouble.

Leo handed the spoon and jar to Donnie before following Raph, also crawling. Elia perked up, thinking this was a new game, and did the same, pulling Telon with her.

"Unbelievable that these two are responsible for training the cops." Donnie sighed, shaking his head with a fond expression.

"Unbelievable these three are adults." Kion added, watching his mate crawl in a row with the others.

"I think it's cute." Mikey grinned, helping Amy to sit and turning Nix around so he too faced Donnie. The genius watched how his second son scrunched up his little face at the sight of the jar, while Amy's was fixed on the spoon.

While Ky was enjoying the mushed food, Nix hated it. And Amy was always more interested in the spoon, rather than the food.

"At least they're gonna be sleepy and won't make a fuss when we get them to bed tonight." Donnie said dryly, referring to Leo and Raph.

Mikey laughed and sat up from his comfortable position to help Don with the feeding.

"Here, try Amy, I'll hold her hands so she doesn't grab it."

Donnie scooped up some of the mush and opened his mouth to show Amy what she's supposed to do.

"Open wiiiiide for Papa." He coaxed, and with wide dark eyes she did.

Her mouth worked for about a second. "Ba." Donnie hurried to scoop up the mush and put it in her mouth again. He kept the spoon inside, feeling her tongue playing around until she swallowed.

"Ba!" She clapped her hands, then examined her hands with a surprised expressions. Did she just make that sound?

Mikey had let go of Amy to keep Nix still when he tried to flee from the food. He placed him in his lap and let him hold onto his fingers with both his tiny fists.

Donnie took some more mush on the spoon, deadpanning at the glare his youngest sent him. The baby edged his head away, kicking his legs and stretching far back against Mike's plastron.

"Oh come on, Nix, you have to learn at some point."

"Fffff."

Kion and Bogen laughed at the display. It's been almost two years since they had the food party with Elia.

Donnie opened and closed his mouth, waiting for Nix to mimic it. The boy just continued to glare and turn his head.

"Look, your sister eats it too." Donnie tried to coax, pushing the spoonful into Amy's mouth. His daughter, to his delight, swallowed the food, but grabbed the spoon and had a tight grip on it.

Don tried to pull it out of her mouth and away from her hand, but she whined and fussed when he did.

Mikey watched in amusement at how Donnie was playing tug-of-war with their six-month-old. He felt Nix pulling his finger to his mouth, gnawing on it. His two bottom teeth pressed into his skin, but not hard enough to hurt.

An idea hit Mikey. He dipped his finger into the mush and put it to Nix' mouth again. The baby hesitated before opening his mouth and sucking the mush off of it. He looked up at his mommy with wide eyes at the surprisingly good taste.

"It's good, hm? Want some more?" Mikey gathered some more and this time Nix opened his mouth immediately, humming and wiggling his feet.

Donnie sighed and used his free hand to fish out a play spoon from their bag. He held it out to Amy, who let out a cute gasp at the colorful object. As soon as her grip on the real spoon lessened Don took it, clearing his throat.

He handed the spoon to Mikey, who took it to try the next bite with it.

Nix frowned up at his mother when he saw him using that horrible object.

"Come on, sweetie, it's the same stuff. One bite, please? For mommy?"

Mikey brushed the filled spoon against the baby's lips. Reluctantly Nix opened his mouth with a scrunched up face.

Mikey let the spoon inside, like Don had done with Amy, until Nix had swallowed.

"Ffffff..." Some of the mush came out, but fortunately most of it stayed inside.

Gasping in an exaggerating way, Mikey held Nix over his head before nuzzling him. "Your first bite! I'm so proud of you!"

Nix squealed in joy, reaching to grab his face.

"Mommy!" Amy whined, watching her mother and brother jealously. She liked playing plane, way more than Nix did.

She frowned at Donnie. "Ba!" The genius grabbed the jar and tried to feed her another spoon. This time she obediently opened her mouth, struggling but managing to swallow the mush.

Donatello laughed and copied Mikey, holding her high, playing plane with her. A high pitched laughter came from her.

"You're learning so fast, honey." Donnie cooed, nuzzling the freckled face.

"BADA!" Came a loud screech of joy from somewhere across the park. The turtles on the blanket blinked and turned. Wow, they've crawled pretty far.

Raph was throwing Ky in the air, only a few inches, and catching him again. The baby was highly enjoying himself, the laughs coming from his belly.  
Leo was anxiously hovering, seemingly scolding Raph.

"Did he say Bada?" Kion asked with a frown. Donnie laughed.

"I guess it's a mixture between baba and dada."

They all looked up when Mikey stood and stomped over to their mates.

"RAPHAEL! Have you lost your mind?!"

With wide eyes, Raph paused in his game, holding Ky still over his head.

"I told you it's dangerous!" Leo hissed at him.

"Oh shut up, we're ninjas, I won't let our son fall." Hesitantly he turned to see Mikey stomping towards them, a furious expression on his face that made Raph pale a shade.

Ky was still laughing, enjoying the view from so far up. The laughter turned wet when he burped, the mush mixed with his formula earlier hitting his daddy's head.

Raph was frozen as the warm liquid ran down his face. Leo carefully took Ky from him, taking a few steps back. He felt his own stomach churn at the sight of the light orange mix and had to turn his head away to avoid adding to the vomit.

Mikey came to a stop in front of them, taking Ky into his arms and nuzzling him, before glaring at Raph.

"Serves you right! Never _ever_ do that again! I almost had a heart attack!"

With a disgusted expression, Raph wiped the vomit from his eyes.

"We were playing. He liked it."

"He's a baby, he doesn't know how dangerous that can be! You should know better." Mikey lifted and turned Ky to check for any injuries, of course finding none.

"I'm not a little kid, baby, stop scolding me..." Raph grumbled, blushing a little as some of the surrounding turtles stared, some of them in sympathy.

Mikey glanced around and sighed. "You're right. I'm sorry..." He grabbed a burp cloth from where it hung over his shoulder and handed it to Raph, before turning around with Ky to march back to their blanket.

Leo had a hard time holding back the "I told you so." Raph was punished enough with being barfed on _again_ by one of their kids and Mikey scolding him in public.

Telon cleared his throat and awkwardly stepped closer again, Elia clinging to him.

"Daddy this fun! I wanna be plane too!" His eyes widened a fraction as he looked at his daughter.

The three adults glanced at the blanket, and sure enough Kion was watching them with narrowed eyes.

"Eh," Telon gulped, "Sorry honey, your mommy's gonna trounce me if I do that."

"Seriously, they look so harmless..." Leo shook his head, eyes still wide.

"But when it comes to their babies they turn into monsters." Raph finished, grumbling under his breath as he wiped more of the vomit away.

**_xxxxx_**

_Ding Dong~_

The sound of the doorbell made Mikey frown. Barely five minutes ago Raph and Leo left for the afternoon class in the dojo, he didn't expect any visitors.

Making sure the babies were okay in the playpen, he went to open the door. He blinked in surprise at seeing the mayor there.

"Good afternoon, Michelangelo, was it?" The turtle smiled pleasantly, holding up a big basket filled with diapers and various other baby stuff.

"Hello... uh yes. Just call me Mikey." He licked his lips, wary of the elder turtle.

They've met him when they had decided to stay here. He was at least thirty years older than them, but he didn't look like it. As turtles they had a pretty long life ahead of them.

Back in the city hall Mayor Voron has been very nice and helpful, and Mikey remembered how grateful they've been. Back then they weren't the slightest bit suspicious of the warm welcome. Now that they had some background knowledge, Mikey didn't feel so toasty around the other turtle.

"Mikey, yes. I know it's a bit late for a baby present, but I've been pretty busy. There's been a few problems I had to take care of. This is for you and your babies."

He handed the basket over, Mikey taking it with a polite smile.

"Aw, this is really nice of you. Thank you very much."

"Oh please, it's nothing. Usual treatment for those who lay multiple eggs." Voron grinned widely.

Mikey didn't really know what to say to that. He kinda really wished his mates were here. Somehow he didn't think it was a coincidence that the mayor showed up right after they left.

As if sensing their mother's unease, the babies started whining for "Mah!" and "Mommy!"

Smiling apologetically, Mikey took a step back from the door to put the basket to the side.

"Speaking of multiples, my babies need me. So thanks again and-"

"Aw, could I see them? I love babies!" Voron showed his white election-winning smile and Mikey couldn't help but agree. It would be rude to send the mayor off, right?

"Of course, please, come in." Mikey sighed and closed the door behind his guest, reluctantly guiding him to their playpen.

"Oh my, aren't you cute little babies? No wonder with such a pretty mommy!" Mikey chuckled in embarrassment, leaning against the bars of the playpen.

"And I bet you boys are going to be as strong and smart as your daddies."

"Yeah, they take after their daddies..."

Amy and Ky frowned at the stranger, while Nix downright glared. The turtle made them feel anxious with his presence, and their mommy seemed to feel the same.

The mayor reached inside to tickle Ky's chin, since he was closest to him, and was rewarded by a startled cry, the baby falling backwards in trying to get away from the scary man.

Immediately he stepped away from the pen, an apologetic and surprised expression on his face.

"I'm sorry, they aren't too fond of strangers." Mikey apologized as he bent to take Ky, the baby burying his face in his mother's shoulder.

"No, _I_ am sorry. I didn't want to scare them."

"It's okay... uh, Ky was always easily startled." It was quite the opposite, but the mayor didn't need to know that. "Would you like a cup of coffee?" Anything to get him away from his babies.

"Thank you, that sounds wonderful."

Mikey placed Ky back to his siblings, quickly stroking over the other two heads to assure his anxious babies.

"Mommy..." Amy whined, but quieted when Mikey handed her a plush flower with a mirror.

To Mike's relief the mayor followed him to the kitchen and sat by the island while Mikey fiddled with their coffee maker.

"They are already talking? Wow, they must have Donatello's intelligence. At my last visit in Telon's office he seemed to be quite the genius."

Mikey bit his lip and schooled his expression before turning around and placing a steaming cup of coffee in front of the mayor.

"'Mommy' is the only word Amy uses. But I guess you could say they are all a little smarter than most."

"And they look so healthy, most multiples I've seen seemed to have problems gaining weight. Yours and your mates' genetics are fantastic."

"Thanks..."

"Leonardo probably told you, I was talking to him a few weeks ago in the dojo."

Biting the inside of his cheek, Mikey nodded.

"He mentioned it, yeah."

"You see, you are all young and healthy men, it would be such a waste to stop after three children, right?"

On one hand, Mikey was glad Raph wasn't present. His hothead would highly insult the mayor and risk them all being thrown out. On the other hand he would be glad to have some support.

"In a few years we might try for more. When the triplets are only a bit over a year old it's a little too early for our taste. Babies are a lot of work." He explained carefully.

"Of course, of course. Unfortunately I was never blessed with children, since my wife and I both are infertile. But I had lots of younger siblings, I know it can be hard to take care of them." Voron laughed and sipped from his cup.

If he didn't know the background, Mikey thought, he wouldn't suspect a thing. He'd even peg the mayor as a really friendly guy.

"But you know," Voron continued after setting the cup down, "we have a great nanny program, I can assign one to help you in the household or with the babies."

"We manage just fine, but thanks for the offer. We're really fond of privacy."

"Understandable. Intimate family moments are best shared with the family exclusively." Voron nodded with an understanding tone.

"Leonardo assured me you guys manage your time pretty well. Not many have his talent for organization, he's a real strategist, I noticed. And don't think I didn't notice the playpen was hand-made. I bet that was the work of Donatello. I don't even know what that is," he motioned to one of the vents, their AC, "but it seems to be another great invention."

Mikey didn't know where the mayor was going with this. It had to be a strategy of sorts. So he nodded and cleared his throat.

"It's an air conditioner. When it gets too hot you can turn it on and it blows cool air." Voron blinked in amazement.

"Like a reverse heater?"

"Uh yes. Sort of."

"See, that's what I'm talking about. With great ideas like these, and the know-how to make them real, Donatello has a great future ahead of him. When I first learned about Donatello's intellect and then found out about Leonardo's discipline, I thought they'd be perfect for the city hall."

Mikey blinked at Voron, still not quite getting why he was telling him this.

"Ah sorry, I forgot you weren't born here." Voron apologized with a chuckle. "Working in the city hall opens great opportunities. The members' families get really big houses, mansions, in The Heights. They get these fancy bracelets," he held up his wrist, where a black leather bracelet hung, "that gives them a 50 percent discount on absolutely everything.

They and their families get special treatments at the hospital, a free pass for every museum or other facilities they'd want to visit. And that was only a few of the pros."

"I don't quite see my mates behind a desk..." Mikey said after a few moments.

"Of course not. That'd be wasted talent. Donatello would work in our laboratory. He'd get his own section, with other smart minds to create things like this... uh, air conditioner. Things to make all our lives easier."

Voron thought he had Mikey captivated, smiling as he continued to talk.

"For Leonardo I was thinking about a place in our counseling round. Right now there's only four others, we come together once a week to discuss matters like the building of another daycare center, or trading business with the other cities, for example.

The payment both of them would receive is twice as much as now, in addition to the discounts. Raphael and you wouldn't need a job, and aside from one day in a week, plus maybe one or two emergency meetings Leonardo would be home all the time too."

Mikey gulped. Right now he cursed both Leo and Don for leaving such an impression on the mayor. Though, who would've known this guy was such a master mind?

"... Why are you telling me this, Mayor Voron...? I mean, it's their decision in the end."

"Oh, I'm planning on asking Donatello when he gets home, and Leonardo tomorrow at the dojo. I just thought I'd tell you the advantages of it myself. You know, so you can plan ahead."

Voron seemed to be pretty sure Donnie and Leo would accept immediately.

"What if they decline?" Mikey found himself asking, his stomach clenching.

"Why would they? It's a great offer. An honor to be chosen for the city hall. Telon applied several times as platinum level doctor." He smiled this friendly smile he seemed to have been born with, and it only made the ball in Mikey's stomach heavier.

"Who could decline such an offer? More money than they'd ever need, in addition to plenty of time with their big family."

His hands, out of sight below the kitchen island, clenched hard on his upper thighs as he tried to keep a straight expression on. He had to admit, the mayor knew how to play his cards.

Nix' wailing brought him out of his thoughts.

"Excuse me." And with that he hurried to the playpen. They all were anxious, their eyes tear-filled as they reached for Mikey, while their mother tried to keep it together. He tried to calm himself for the sake of his babies, but it was hard.

"It's alright, my sweets, everything's okay."

He wanted to curse the mayor, throw him out and to tell him to never come back. He also wanted to curl up in the playpen with his babies and cry. It was like the mayor was playing with his psychological and hormonal state.

"I'm home!" Donnie called when he entered the house, about to step into the living room when the mayor already greeted him from the kitchen.

"Hello, Donatello. Good to see you. Michelangelo is tending to the triplets. Really cute kids you got there. Do you have a moment?"

Mikey rubbed both hands over his face as he heard them talk in the hallway. Scooping a crying Nix up and bouncing him on one hip, he grabbed for one of the shellcells on the dining room table.

"_Mikey? Everything okay?" _

Raph had picked up immediately. Apparently the kids were doing something autonomously at the moment. Mikey took a deep breath to not start crying.

"Yes... I mean... can you come home? The mayor is here..."

"_What the hell does he want?"_ Raph's voice grew colder at the mention of the nosy mayor. _"Never mind, we'll send the kids home and be there in ten minutes." _

"Okay... thanks, Raph."

"_...Are you okay? Is Donnie home yet?"_ Mikey nodded, even though Raph couldn't see it.

"Yeah. Just... please come."

"_We'll be there in a few."_ Raph promised before ending the call.

"Just a second, Mayor Voron, I want to greet my family." Don's voice.

"My, of course! Take your time!" Voron laughed and a second later Donnie appeared in the living room.

He took note of the fussy state of his babies and how pale Mikey seemed to be. Being mindful of Nix in his arms, Donnie wrapped his arms around his little brother.

"Hey, are you okay? What is he doing here?" The olive turtle whispered, nuzzling Mikey's face.

"Yes, he's just making me really nervous... He has a job offer for you and Leo..." He explained, leaning into the comforting embrace. "I called them, they'll be here in a few minutes."

"Okay sweetheart... don't worry, we talked about this, right?"

Mikey kinda didn't know _why _he was so upset. All the mayor did was being friendly and offering a great opportunity for them. There was absolutely nothing upsetting about it. Still Mikey felt as if he swallowed a giant ball of barbed wire.

"Okay."

"Did they calm down?" Voron stood in the doorway, a concerned expression on his face as he watched Nix in Mike's arms.

"Yes. They're just growing tired, it's time for their afternoon nap. Do you mind if we..."

"Of course not. I don't have any more appointments today, take all the time you need."

Donnie smiled politely at the mayor. "Thank you. Please, sit on the couch. Raph and Leo are coming home in a few minutes, they ended the class earlier because of the nice weather."

For a moment, a tiny fraction of a second, Voron's eyes narrowed. But then there was this pleasant expression again.

"Wonderful, then I can share the news with all of you at once!"

Ky started wailing too, as if feeling Mike's sudden fear, and Amy kept calling for "Mommy!"

Donnie picked her up and placed her in Mikey's other arm before taking a hold of Ky.

With his free arm protectively around Mikey's shell they made their way upstairs.

They weren't sure if the babies would sleep, but they were way calmer now that the stranger was far away. Amy needed a fresh diaper, so Mikey changed her while Don settled their two sons in their cribs.

"Did you see him? He's not happy that the others are coming home." Mikey breathed, mindful of the baby monitor in the corner.

Donnie wrapped his arms around him from behind, nuzzling the side of his face. "Yeah. Could be he's afraid we're more likely to decline if we're together."

"I don't know, Donnie. He's pretty sure you'll both agree... It's a really great offer, to be honest."

"Tell you what, we'll just listen to him, and then when he's gone we can talk about it in peace. He's got to give us time to think, after all." Mikey nodded and placed Amy on her belly in the crib.

Then he closed the curtains and took a calming breath before starting the lullaby. During the day it worked wonders to get them to sleep. Donnie stayed with him, smiling at the made-up lyrics.

Only when they heard the front door opening did they leave the nursery.

Leo and Raph have already found the mayor, they were exchanging greetings just as the younger mates entered the living room.

"I bet the kids were grateful for the early dismissal so they can enjoy this nice weather." Donnie said as he came over to greet his mates. Catching on quickly, Leo smiled.

"Yeah, you should've seen them."

"I'm gonna make another round of coffee." Mikey excused himself with a smile and took his time preparing the beverages.

The mayor was holding a great speech about the importance of family and kept praising Leo's and Don's skills for the next half hour.

Since Mikey and Raph weren't really involved in the matter, Mikey curled up to his most muscular brother, comforted by the strong arm holding him close.

He was subtly glaring at the mayor, suspicious of his motives.

Finally Voron came to the great offer and kept gushing over it to make it even more appetizing for Leo and Donnie.

"Oh wow. This is a very generous offer." Leo stated, hand entangled with Don's.

"Yeah, it sounds really tempting."

Voron grinned widely.

"I know, right? So, what do you say?" Raph raised an eye ridge, and then a few glances were exchanged.

"This is a big decision, I'm afraid. Would it be alright if we thought about it for a while?"

"Not a problem at all. Just let me know... let's say next Wednesday. Then I can have the house and contracts ready by Friday."

"Thank you, we'll swing by the city hall then." Leo promised with a polite smile.

Finally the mayor left and the turtles found themselves alone in the living room. For a while no one said anything.

"So. We all know he's doing this on purpose. To evade the whole scheme. Cause with Raph not needing to work at all and me having more than enough time off there's no reason for us not to get more children." Leo summarized, leaning back on the couch.

"Though you have to admit, it's a really tempting offer." Raph sighed, rubbing his eyes.

And it _was_. Mikey couldn't emphasize that enough. Leo could still keep the dojo for the afternoon kids classes with how much free time he had. Raph could stay at home with his family, like he wanted. And Donnie could go wild on this universe's tech, experiment and build as much as he wanted, and even get paid for it.

"I could use the next days to break down the components for the heat suppressants. Or snag a few of them. Mikey is the only one who needs to take them, so the mouth to his uterus stays closed..." Donnie's gaze was fixated on his coffee cup.

"We could just tell him we didn't manage to impregnate him. That our semen wasn't strong enough, whatever. That would keep him off of our case for a few years."

"You think that would work?" Raph asked, perking up.

"Psh, of course. Mikey's no female that could get pregnant every other day. Subs only have those two days during mating season, there's nothing he can do if it doesn't work out in that time."

Leo, Donnie and Raph looked at Mikey. It didn't matter that they all would love to accept. If Mikey was against it, they'd decline.

The freckled turtle sighed and leaned his head back to rest against Raph's arm. Donnie's idea was great. And likely to work too. All of them would be happy.

So Mikey shoved that bad foreboding feeling into a tiny corner of his mind and smiled.

"I guess we're moving to The Heights."


	7. Chapter 7

"This is a castle." Donnie's eyes were wide as he looked at their new home.

After three weeks of taking care of things, they were finally able to move in. The mayor had insisted he'd prepare everything, they wouldn't need to bring any furniture.

While Leo and Raph have already seen their new house, as they wanted to make everything perfect, Mikey and Donnie were seeing it for the first time now.

In 'The Heights', there were several houses, all of them looking pretty much the same from the outside.

There was a huge garden surrounding it, a swing and a sandbox appeared when they rounded the house for starters.

In a corner of the garden, in front of a few bushes, was a garden shed. Next to it was a vegetable patch and a row of berry bushes were lined on the fence to the next garden.

Mikey adjusted his grip on Ky as he followed his mates back around to the front porch. For once his oldest son was not wiggling to be let down. With wide cerulean eyes he watched his surroundings, tiny fingers holding onto Mikey's shoulder.

Amy, curious as ever, was busy checking out the new environment, her little head going from side to side. Raph shifted her to his other arm, amused by her gawking.

Nix was as quiet as Ky, though he rather curled into Donnie's hold and looked to the ground instead of around.

Leo opened the front door, a smile on his face. A staircase was leading to the first floor. Under the stairs was a wardrobe, perfect for storing winter jackets and other outside-toys.

A door next to the wardrobe led to a small guest bathroom with a toilet and sink, and a washing machine.

On the left side of the main entrance was the wide kitchen with pretty expensive looking appliances. Everything seemed new. An open archway led from the kitchen to a dining room.

The table was big enough to hold eight people, a few booster seats were brought there and high-chairs.

There were big windows that showed the garden and a sliding glass door led to the porch. Another archway brought them back to the hallway.

The room on the right side of the hallway was the living room. It was large, holding a big flat-screen that was surrounded by a comfortable looking sofa and armchairs. The carpet there seemed soft.

A fish tank, filled with exotic looking fishes, took up most of the wall across from the television.

There was a bookshelf next to it, and in a corner there was a rather large playpen, with a soft padding and countless toys, from plushies to teething helps, to various learning toys.

More wide windows showed the garden.

Amy began fussing, reaching for the interesting playpen.

"Not yet, sweetie, we're not done yet." Raph soothed, smiling when Leo handed her one of the plushies. Amy settled, a tight grip on the toy.

This time Raph took the lead, bringing them upstairs. Gates were at the top and bottom of them, for the safety or the kids.

The first room on top, on the left side of the stairs, was a bigger bathroom with a tub and shower, some rubber turtles lining the tub. There were stickers of friendly cartoon fishes and turtles, that Ky cooed at.

A cabinet with two sinks was next to the toilet, the mirror having lights installed. There was even a small stool for children to stand on and Leo held up a toilet seat for toddlers, for when they were old enough to use it.

There was an installation on the wall, a changing table you could pull down when needed to save space.

Next stop was the main bedroom. Leo and Raph wore smug smirks while Donnie and Mikey's jaws dropped.

Instead of a normal bed, there were a bunch of mattresses and pillows in a corner. It took up the better part of a wall with its sheer size, and it looked really comfy with silken sheets in soft colors and those countless pillows. They had even hung up some see-through curtains around it for decoration, to separate the sleeping place from the rest of the bedroom.

They could see fairy-lights along the ceiling, it would be really romantic at night.

It was almost beyond noting, but on the opposite wall was a walk-in closet next to a full-body mirror.

"Oh my god. This is awesome!" Mikey gasped at the bed, tempted to go snuggle into the sheets.

"You haven't seen the best part yet." Raph grinned and motioned for his mates to lay on the bed. Leo closed the door so they could put their babies on the carpet.

As soon as the four of them laid on their carapaces, Raph pressed a hidden button on the wall. Part of the ceiling above the bed started moving, revealing a hidden square window.

Leo and Raph both smirked at the awestruck expressions on their younger mates' faces.

"That's why it took so long. We talked to Voron if we could have something like this, and his engineers made it possible."

The summer sky was so wonderful to look at, with small white puffy clouds.

"I can't wait for tonight, you two can look at the stars while we pound you senseless."

Raph would've deserved a smack for that remark, but Donnie had to admit, it was a really sweet and romantic idea. And judging how amazed Mikey still was, he thought the same.

"Dada!" Ky whined, trying to grab Raph's feet from where they hung over the mattress with how he was laying.

"Come on, you haven't seen the babies' rooms yet." Leo smiled and pulled his mates with him.

They picked up their toddlers again and continued the tour.

"This is Nix' room." Raph announced, opening the door. The walls were bare, safe for soft red letters spelling "Phoenix Malachite" on one part. "We left all the walls white in case you want to paint something there." He told Mikey, who smiled widely.

Red curtains framed the window, an orange circular carpet was another colorful accent.

A crib that could be shifted to a toddler bed with light green sheets stood in a corner, plush stars and a moon dangling above it, since their youngest loved to watch them back at their old house.

"The rooms look a little empty right now, but when they're older they can decide themselves what to do with it." Leo shrugged and led them to the next room.

It was clear that this was Amy's room. The wall where her crib was standing was painted in a light rose color, the curtains a soft lilac and another carpet in the same color.

Just like in Nix' room, there were letters on one of the walls, spelling "Amethyst". Since their daughter was obsessed with spoons, they had made a joke of it and hung up a few spoons to dangle from the ceiling by her bed.

Ky's room looked similar to the other two, only with various shades of blue and "Kyanite" on his wall.

"What about the rest?" Donnie asked. There was another room next to Ky's, and another staircase that led to the second floor.

"Empty. There are three more bedrooms and a smaller bathroom upstairs. When the kids are older they can move up there if they want." Raph shrugged. "There's a basement with four more rooms, and another bathroom. I turned one into my gym, and we moved your lab to another... though we don't think you're gonna need it anymore with your new job."

Donnie shrugged. He's started his career only a week ago, so far he had enough he could tinker on in the city hall's lab.

"We installed the hot tub in one of the basement rooms, so we can use it after they are asleep." Leo added.

"It feels like we're high society..." Mikey said, shaking his head in disbelief. So far everything, aside from the bedroom, didn't seem very homey. But that could change soon with three kids in the house.

"We kinda are." Leo chuckled. "With these jobs we earn the most money, aside from the mayor."

"When you have one of these jobs, you've made it... That's why Telon's been trying for ages. He was pretty disappointed when I told him..."

"It's not like we asked for it." Raph sighed, rubbing Don's shoulder to comfort him. "It's not your fault he sees so much potential in you."

"Still it feels like I betrayed him. And it's not even the division he's been applying for."

"Is he mad at you?" Mikey asked, bending to pick up the toy Amy dropped.

"No... not really. At least he said he wasn't."

"See? There's no need to feel bad about your gift." Raph assured, kissing his temple in a soothing manner. Donnie smiled and hugged Ky a little tighter.

**_xxxxx_**

"Are you even listening to me?" Mikey turned around to where Leo was sitting in front of their babies.

They had moved the high-chairs to the kitchen, so Leo could feed them and still talk to Mikey as the smaller turtle cooked.

"Of course I am!" Leo cooed in a sweet voice, eyes fixated on Ky, who giggled as his fafa made funny faces and playing peek-a-boo with them.

Mikey watched him for a while, smiling at the display. Good thing they were done feeding already. He noticed Amy fussing in her chair and lifted her up.

Her face was concentrated as she looked at his face so close. Then, her hand came up as her tongue stuck out in concentration. With her thumb and first finger she tried to pick up his freckles. She gasped cutely when she couldn't pick it up. Mikey laughed and tickled her chin.

Seeing his sister was out of her chair, Ky began kicking his feet too. He wanted to move, move, move. Leo took him out, and promptly Amy was placed in his other arm.

"Put them in the playpen, I don't want them crawling around here when I handle the hot stuff." Mikey ordered, handing Nix the plushie he dropped.

The youngest had taken up following Mikey everywhere he went since they moved to this house. So when the orange-banded turtle followed his passion of cooking and baking, he kept Nix in his high-chair so he could be close without getting hurt.

"I want to handle the hot stuff too." Leo attempted to flirt, eyes on Mikey's tail as he stirred the sauce on the stove.

"You're not allowed to touch the stove anymore, Leo." Mikey stated distractedly without turning around. Though he smirked at the frustrated sigh of his oldest mate. He just loved teasing him.

After a few moments Leo came back from setting Amy and Ky in the play pen, and sat down at the kitchen island next to Nix' chair.

The baby promptly pushed his plushie over the edge of his chair.

"You know I wasn't talking about the stove." Leo said as he picked it up for him.

"Then what did you mean?" Mikey asked innocently, swaying his hips as he put some cut-up meat in a pan.

The plushie fell again. Leo frowned, but picked it up again.

"You know exactly what I meant."

Nix watched Leo's face with a mischievous glint in his eyes and dropped his plushie again.

"Uh no, sorry. I'm afraid I don't." Leo looked at Nix, who watched his fafa, waiting to get his toy back. Deciding to let it slide for now, he picked it up again and kept an eye on his youngest son.

"If Raph or Don was here to watch the kids I'd show you."

Mikey giggled, and Leo's eyes widened when he saw Nix dropping the toy on purpose. He made a disapproving face and refused to pick it up.

Nix' bottom lip stuck out and his eyes filled with tears as he started to cry.

In a flash Mikey turned around, checking his baby for injuries. When he gathered the problem, he frowned at Leo.

"Why won't you give him his plushie?" He asked, picking up the toy and nuzzling his giggling baby's face.

"Mommy!" He said with a cute grin. He learned it just a few days ago, along with daddy and baba.

"Yeees, mommy gave you your plushie, my little angel." Mikey smiled and kissed his son's forehead, before turning to the stove again so his meat wouldn't burn.

"Because he's doing it on purpose! He's gotta learn that's not how it works!" Nix' green eyes were fixed on him as he dropped the toy again.

"Oh please, he's a baby! His grip isn't that strong, he's not doing it on purpose."

Leo glared at Nix behind Mikey's back. Nevertheless he picked up the toy again, keeping an arm out so he'd catch it if it fell again.

"I'm telling you, he's a mischievous little thing."

Nix stuck the plushie's leg into his mouth, smiling with wide eyes when Mikey turned around again.

"You really are paranoid, look, he's a little angel!" As if he knew Mikey was talking about him, Nix laughed cutely.

As soon as Mike's back was on them again, Nix frowned at Leo. The adult had his arm still out to catch the falling toy, but the baby stared right at him and pushed it to the other side of his chair to fall.

Leo's eyes widened a fraction. He couldn't believe it. His baby was seriously playing that game with him. His midnight blue eyes narrowed and he crossed his arms, holding up the staring contest with his youngest child.

Seconds ticked by where none of them moved. Leo refused to pick up the plushie. Then all of a sudden Nix started wailing. He worked his legs and arms, crying his little heart out.

"Mommy! Mommy!" He cried, reaching for a surprised Mikey.

"What did you do to him?!" The freckled turtle asked a perplexed Leo. Mikey quickly turned off the stove and scooped up his baby, nuzzling him.

"Nothing! He was provoking me with that plushie!"

"Are you nuts?! A seven-month-old is _not_ provoking you!" Mikey picked up the toy and offered it to Nix, who took it clumsily in both hands and sniffed. The perfect picture of innocence.

"There, isn't that better angelcakes? Don't worry, fafa won't tease you anymore." He soothed, placing Nix back in his chair.

"I was not teasing him! He's the one-"

"No. I don't want to hear it. Go, make sure Amy and Ky don't hurt themselves. And don't you dare pick on them too!"

"I wasn't picking on him!" Leo tried to defend himself, but found himself shoved out of the kitchen.

"That little..." he grumbled, finally understanding Raph's problem.

**_xxxxx_**

"So, are you having fun? What are you working on?"

Donnie looked up from his work station and smiled at Mayor Voron.

"It's great. This is a prototype for a cellphone. We can use it to communicate with others over a longer distance."

Voron's eyes were wide as he examined the prototype. "That's possible? Oh my, that would make things way easier. And spare us a lot of time."

Donatello grinned widely. "That's the plan, mayor."

"As much as I want you to continue this; do you think you take a look at this for me?" Voron pulled out two small bottles from the bag he was carrying. One held a blue substance, the other a clear one.

Donnie took them both.

"What is it?"

"Well, we're working on a new medicine, a vitamin of sorts. But my special team is stuck, because they can't get those two components to connect."

Don shrugged, turning to his microscope and putting a drop of each liquid on a dish.

"... The blue liquid is foreign to me..." Donnie muttered.

"We pressed it from special flowers that grow in my personal garden. Do you think it's possible to mix the two?"

"I will definitely try. What exactly is this vitamin for? Maybe I can think of a different component to replace the clear liquid."

"To be honest, this is kind of a secret project... Nobody is supposed to know of it yet. At least not until we tested the end result."

"Oh, of course. I'll do what I can, as soon as I'm done with the prototype. Edineon can use it to create more then." Donnie said. Voron smiled.

"Look, I appreciate your dedication. And maybe you really have a better idea to make it real. It's supposed to regulate the hormones of the females and subs that use suppressants and preservatives."

Donnie blinked. "Okay... do they need it? I mean, Mikey had strong moods, but I'm not sure if that's the suppressant's fault."

Voron sighed and leaned against the work station with crossed arms.

"It is. They enhance the sensitivity of the females and subs. It plays with their nature to mate, messes up their insides for a while. The drug should help them, to make it easier for them. And for us, hehe."

Donatello smiled. "Wow, that kinda is a good idea... I never thought about it like that." He admitted.

"I don't know what you heard, but let me tell you, I only worry about the population's well-being. I completely understand the females and subs' desire to manage their own families. Some don't want any kids. Also completely understandable."

Donnie frowned and tilted his head. He couldn't really tell if the mayor was being honest. Though, so far nothing made him suspicious.

"The thing is, it's against our nature. I'm so against the heat suppressants because it messes up their hormones. If they do it too often, especially the subs, they could take serious damage. If we can make this drug, they can take the suppressants without any harm."

"That makes sense... It's a really awesome idea if you explain it like that." Donnie blinked at the bottles on his table.

"I knew you would approve. However, this is top secret. No one can know about it, at least until we have it done and tested."

"Of course." Don nodded quickly. "Actually I already have an idea of how to make it work."

"Already? Ah, I should've asked you way sooner. I will tell my special division to stop by so you can explain it to them. Thank you very much, Donatello."

Donnie blushed at the praise and grinned.

Voron turned to leave, a calculating smirk on his face as he retreated. This was going exactly like he planned...

**_xxxxx_**

"Shell, these meetings are really interesting." Leo announced as he let himself fall on the couch next to Mikey.

The mayor had called their weekly meeting on the evening, they had a festive dinner to welcome Leo to their circle before talking business.

"What did you talk about? Wait, are you allowed to tell us?" Mikey asked.

"Most things are pretty boring for you, like, if someone from another race is allowed to travel through here. Apparently that's a big deal here, if a rabbit, or a snake or whatever wants to walk through the main parts of the city.

I suggested to just build a road for travelers through the outer parts of the city, maybe even add a hotel and souvenir shop to make money."

"They have hotels, what good are they if they don't want strangers here?"

"They have one hotel. For turtles. Other kinds are not exactly welcome. It's not some kind of war or anything, but there's a huge deal of hostility..."

"What did they say to your idea?" Donnie asked, relaxing back against Raph's chest.

"Voron thought it was a good idea. It would make them seem less hostile in the other cities' eyes, and since it wasn't in the center of the city no turtles would be disturbed. The money was a great bonus."

"Our dear mayor was practically fangirling about you two. Of course he's gonna love every single idea you give." Raph chuckled. Leo shrugged.

"I'm not sure if it's all an act. He seemed pretty honest to me."

Donnie nodded in agreement, sitting up straight again.

"A few days ago he explained his motives... you know, for the whole 'forced pregnancy' scheme. It's really not what everyone thinks."

"Oh come on, babe. Of course he would defend his cause." Raph rolled his eyes.

"No, really. I mean, I really think he loves children and wants to have a bigger population. But he _is_ caring about the females and subs."

"What did he tell you?" Mikey asked in a quiet voice.

"I can't really tell. It's a secret project of his I helped with. But trust me, he's not so bad as everyone thinks he is."

Mikey shrugged uneasily, but nodded. Raph sighed and shook his head.

"Whatever. I don't trust him, even if he's wrapped both of you around his finger."

"How bad can he be? He made sure there are great pre-schools and schools. There's lots of support for those with children, he really takes care of families."

At the stares of Mikey and Raph Leo sighed.

"I'm not saying he's awesome. But it could be worse."

"Of course it could be worse... and I mean, I really love our mansion. There's enough room for at least six more kids." Raph grinned and squeezed Mike's hand. "But only when we're ready. We've got time, after all."

Mikey shrugged one shoulder, fiddling with one of the toys laying around.

"Yeah... it's just... a _feeling_, you know? I don't trust him."

"We're not adopting him as a family member, baby..."

"No invitations for dinner or whatnot, we won't let him too close." Raph assured.

"I just don't want him close to our children..."

"Don't worry, I'm always here, and I won't let him see them, if it makes you feel better." Raphael offered.

"It would, yeah." Leo pulled Mikey closer and pressed a kiss to his cheek. Mikey sighed and leaned against his oldest mate. Why was he worried? They wouldn't let anyone hurt their babies.


	8. Chapter 8

Raph was greeted by the sound of baby laughter when he entered their house. With a smile he closed the front door and followed the sound to the living room.

Leo was sitting on the ground, holding Ky under his arms while their firstborn was practicing standing. He bent his knees, more or less hopping up and down with cute giggles.

Donnie was inside the playpen with Amy, showing her one of the shape games. The mahagony colored eyes of their daughter were wide with wonder as she watched her papa, and eagerly tried to copy his every move.

Mikey sat on the couch with Nix, playing peek-a-boo. Their youngest's eyes would go wide when mommy 'vanished' behind a pillow, and he laughed and clapped every time he appeared again.

Crossing his arms, Raph leaned against the doorpost and watched his family fondly. He couldn't believe how great their life here was.

After months of traveling through various dimensions, each of them worse than the last, they found this place. Finally one worth staying in. It changed all of them, in a very good way.

The best part was that they didn't need to hide anymore. They made great friends, they could go out whenever they wanted, bask in the sun and finally be _normal_.

Raph found himself being way calmer. The rage that's always been simmering inside of him was gone. He and Leo didn't fight anymore, only some minor discussions. He didn't even mind that Leo and Don were bringing home the money while he stayed at home with Mikey and their kids. Raph thought his heart should burst with how much he loved his mates and his babies.

While Leo was still a big mother hen, he was starting to relax way more. Without the deadly threats from back home, he found time to be just himself. A mate, big brother, and father. No dangerous decisions that would make the difference between life and death. The way he laughed back at Ky was carefree, the way it always should've been.

Donnie could finally follow his dreams of improving the world. Sure, it was a _different_ world, but now he could tinker and research and be all scientific as much as he wants. His work was highly praised, he finally got the recognition he deserves. Despite being appreciated, and him loving to bury himself in work at the lab, the mayor made sure he went home at reasonable times to spend time with his family.

Mikey became way more mature since his pregnancy. He still made stupid jokes from time to time, but his pranks practically stopped completely. Even though he wouldn't admit it, the role as mother fit him perfectly. He cooked and baked and cleaned every day, took his time to take care of the babies, and in Raph's eyes he looked just adorable when he fussed about minor things, scolding each of his mates like only a mother could.

"Daddy!" Ky squealed when he noticed Raph in the doorway and giggled at him. His hopping stopped and he bent his knees to sit on his diapered bottom. While he could already stand, sometimes without help, his movement was still restricted to crawling.

With smiles they watched the little guy crawl eagerly over to his daddy. Raph bent down to pick him up, nuzzling the face of his son.

Leo's hand on his shoulder startled him.

"You okay?"

"Of course. Why wouldn't I?" Raph blinked at the question. Why did Leo look worried.

The forest green hand came up to wipe at Raph's cheek. Only then did he realize he was crying.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing... I guess I'm just happy." The red-banded turtle smiled, walking over to the couch when Leo gave a teasing expression.

"Aw, you've really become soft."

Donnie picked up their daughter and they all settled on the couch together.

Seeing her daddy was crying, Amy held her triangle shaped block out to him.

"Daddy." She cooed. Raph chuckled at the cute gesture and took the block from her.

"Thanks, princess. Daddy's okay." He tickled her chin, making her giggle.

They all cuddled together, just enjoying their time as a family.

"I guess I feel a little guilty." Raph said after a while.

"Guilty? Why?" Leo asked. Raphael shrugged.

"We're having a great life here. But... we're only here because of... well." He didn't need to elaborate, since everyone knew he was referring to the incident back home.

"If April hadn't betrayed us, we wouldn't be here. We still would hide away in the sewers. We would risk our lives against aliens and creepy ninjas and street thugs, all for humans who'd kill us without batting an eye." Raph sighed.

"I miss dad, but... I wouldn't want that. I want this life, the way it is right now. I guess I feel guilty because of that."

"Aw Raphie..." Donnie said, using his free hand to squeeze Raph's.

"It's just..." The hothead continued, only slightly embarrassed that he was crying, "We're happy here. All of us enjoy this life."

"We do." Leo assured quickly, his own eyes wet. "I feel the same. I think we all do. Of course I wish we could've taken Splinter with us. And if there was a way to turn back time, we would do so. But that's not how it works." Leo let out a breath.

"It's okay to be happy again. We grieved for a long time. We've been through a lot of... stuff. We deserve to be happy. Father would've wanted us to be."

Mikey rested his head on Raph's shoulder and put Nix up to nuzzled his beak with a smile.

"Dad would've loved his grandchildren." He commented to lighten the mood some more, chuckling when Ky reached over from Raph's lap to tug on Nix' hand. The younger of the two frowned at his brother and tugged his hand free.

Ky tried again, making sounds of protest. Curious, Amy tried to climb in Raph's lap too, grabbing Ky's ankle.

Watching the play with amused expressions, the adults snuggled together. Raphael couldn't help but wipe at his eyes again.

"Yes, he would have."

**_xxxxx_**

"I'm officially jealous." Kion stated as he settled down on a stool by the kitchen island.

The mates of the two subs were in the garden with the children. Donnie, Raph and Bogen tried to install a barbecue and put together garden furniture, while Telon and Leo played with the toddlers and Elia in an inflatable wading pool. They could hear the cute laughter and splashing sounds from the open door to the patio.

Mikey smiled as he filled a few sippy cups with juice and put them to the side for later.

"It's awesome. Pretty much space to clean, but it's doable. As long as the guys help out."

"It's so big. Like... there's room for a dozen more kids." Mikey laughed and put a glass of iced coffee in front of his friend.

"There are only four empty rooms upstairs and three more in the basement. And I certainly won't have seven more children."

"Oh, who knows? Add another set of triplets, or quadruplets, or more..."

"Will you stop teasing me? The guys and I talked about it. When the triplets are around five we _might_ have one or two more, depending on how it goes."

"You had triplets, you have any idea how rare it is for us to have more than one, let alone three? You're highly fertile, no wonder Mayor Voron is so intent on you having more."

Voron was subtle. The past months he talked to Donnie and Leo multiple times, asking how they and their family were doing, if they were still happy in their house, and so on. He was especially interested in the babies, amazed by their development. Oh how great would it be if there were more of such talented turtles. Blah blah.

"Fortunately my mates are very supportive of my decision to wait. Well, we decided together that we'd wait until they're five."

Kion sighed and sipped from his cool beverage.

"I wish Telon and Bogen were more supportive. I mean, Bogen is not so bad at the moment. He and Raph are busying themselves. But Telon is annoying me."

"Yeah I noticed his whining." Mikey chuckled.

"You don't even know the bulk of it. At home he's talking non-stop about it. Just wait until next mating season. He's gonna cling to me 24/7 in hopes I'd give in."

"Why is he so insistent?"

Kion rolled his eyes. "It's kind of stupid, really. Elia is clearly Bogen's daughter. Telon wants to be the biological father of the next child."

"Seriously? Before Donnie found out their DNA merges together we agreed they all would be their dads."

"That was our agreement too. And it worked so well. But lately he's pretty emotional... I think it has to do with your move here. He wouldn't admit it, but he's a little jealous. That Donnie and Leo got the promotion without even trying, while he's been applying for years now. That the mayor speaks so highly of you all."

Mikey raised an eye-ridge. "He's jealous because the mayor is so obsessed with us?"

"Like I said, it's stupid. He's been trying to get in Voron's good graces for ages. I think he hopes that if we get more children, the mayor would praise him too, but he won't talk to us about it."

"That's horrible. I don't want him to be jealous... Donnie thinks so highly of him, they're such good friends..."

"Telon knows it's not your fault. He sees Donnie as his best friend, maybe he feels better if they talk about it some time."

"With our luck Telon's talk about having more babies gets Donnie on board too. I can't believe he was against the pregnancy at first." Mikey shook his head.

"Well, I'm kinda glad he was. We wouldn't have met that afternoon."

"True..." He laughed at the reminder. "I was crying like a sissy and Elia gave me a cookie. Shell, that was ages ago."

"Nah, only two years. Time flies when you have children."

"Mommy!" Elia shouted, running until she entered the house through the dining room. Then she walked overly careful not to slip on the smooth surface.

"What is it?" The little girl giggled, gladly accepting a plastic cup of juice from Mikey. She took a big gulp before continuing.

"Uncy Donnie did make fun of papa and uncy Raph and then the two threw him in the pool!" Elia laughed. "He splashed sooo much and Nix and Ky started whining and Amy laughed and uncy Leo was angry because he got wet too and then they all started splashing and now the pool is empty!"

Kion and Mikey burst out laughing at the mental image. Elia laughed along, dark eyes shining with joy.

"Yeah, I think it's time for a break." Mikey chuckled and grabbed a tray, where he put the sippy cups and iced coffees.

Together they went outside to find all of the other turtles dripping wet. The air-filled wading pool was indeed empty, save for a few puddles.

Ky stood and clapped, laughing at the way Raph shook himself like a dog would, while Amy sat by Don on the grass, using her little hands to wipe the wetness from him. As soon as Nix saw Mikey he crawled over to him, grinning as he made grabby hands for him.

"Mommy! Uh-p!"

Mikey put the tray on a sturdy looking patio table and grabbed one of the towels laying in the sun before he scooped his youngest up.

"Oh my!" He gasped in an exaggerating way. "My baby is all wet! What did you _do_?!" Mikey tickled the toddler, making him giggle and squirm.

Amy clapped and crawled over too. "Mommy. Suh-wim!" Mikey knelt on the grass and started drying her with Nix' towel after sitting him on the ground.

"You swam? Wow, what a big girl you are!" He tickled her beak with the towel, laughing when she grabbed it to bite at it with a grin.

"You see that?" Raph gestured to Mikey, leaning over to Bogen. "As soon as mommy's here we're not interesting anymore." He joked, a fond expression on his face.

Leo rolled his eyes and chuckled.

"No look, at least our little Ky stays with us." He said, looking at their firstborn who's tongue stuck out in concentration, gaze fixed on his mother and siblings.

Very slowly he lifted his tiny leg to take a shaky step. He wavered for a moment but managed to stay standing.

Leo's and Raph's jaws were slack while the other adult turtle's eyes were wide. They watched Ky wiggle his fingers before taking another step.

Seeing his goal was Mikey, the freckled turtle held out his arms to his oldest son with a grin. Ky was eager, gaining confidence with every step.

"Come to mommy, Ky!" Mikey encouraged. Ky stayed concentrated and gained speed, before collapsing into Mikey's arms. The sea-green turtle hugged him close, peppering his little face with kisses that had the toddler giggling.

"Mommy!" Ky snuggled close, enjoying the affections.

"Impressive. At this age... just wow." Telon commented with an amazed grin.

Since Leo was closest to Mikey he knelt by him and gathered him and their babies close. Nix and Amy tried to wiggle away from the crushing hug, but Leo wouldn't let them.

"Aw I'm so proud! He walked! On his own!"

Donnie leaned his head on Raph's shoulder. "Yup, and tomorrow he's gonna start teaching him ninjutsu." He commented, earning a few snickers and a childish stuck-out tongue from Leo, which made the olive turtle laugh out loud.

**_xxxxx_**

"No!"

Mikey looked up from where he was picking up toys. Their toddlers had figured out how to throw things and seemed to enjoy "cleaning up" their playpen by throwing all of their toys out.

Ky was standing by the wooden bars inside the playpen, holding on as he bopped up and down. Amy was busy playing with a shape game, putting the triangle shape to the fitting hole and clapping when it fit.

That left Nix. The youngest was sitting by Ky's feet, face in a frown. His tiny hand was tugging on his brother's diaper.

"No! S-daaay!" Nix tried to tell him to stay. He didn't want Ky to leave, as if he could jump over their playpen.

"Mommy!" Ky's eyes were wide as he wiggled his behind.

Mikey chuckled at the scene, but didn't intervene. Siblings.

Ky let go of the bars and with Nix' tugging he fell onto his diapered bottom. Instantly he whined, tears filling his eyes.

Nix seemed surprised and clumsily wrapped his chubby short arms around his brother. Amy, curious at the sound of her older brother's crying, abandoned her game to crawl over.

Her hands patted on Ky's olive colored cheeks, as if she could pat the tears away.

"No cwy!" She tried to sooth and pressed her spit drenched lips to Ky's head as she'd seen Mikey do a million times.

Ky sniffed, but stopped crying with how his siblings were comforting him.

"I'm done with the- What is it?" Raph stopped in his tracks when he saw Mikey standing there, clutching a plushy to his plastron and smiling like an idiot at the playpen.

"They're so cute! Ky fell on his butt and Nix and Amy comforted him!"

Raph chuckled at that and leaned against the back of the couch to watch their children. Right now Amy was crawling back to her game, since her older brother was calmed down.

Ky was standing again, both hands holding Nix' as he tried to help him stand up.

"Nnnnis!" Ky mispronounced his little brother's name, frowning when he wouldn't cooperate.

"No! S-day!"

Nix face displayed shock when Ky used his whole weight to pull him a few inches off the ground. The blanket that padded the playpen wrinkled when his feet slid on it, and after a few short moments of them both halfway standing, Ky's grip slipped and they both landed on their butts.

Simultaneous they started to cry. Amy looked up with wide mahagony eyes, letting out a frustrated sigh before she joined in. Couldn't she play in peace for a little while?!

Raph and Mikey laughed and hurried to console their babies.

**_xxxxx_**

The house was silent, safe for the sound of playing toddlers in their playpen. Raph was on the couch, reading a magazine while keeping an eye on them. Leo was cleaning the small guest bathroom, while Donnie and Mikey worked together on the bigger one upstairs.

And then it happened. Nix sneezed.

Raph blinked, turning his head to the playpen. Nix was rubbing on his beak, starting to whine, voice cracking a little.

They had suspected he was coming down with something, and now they had their proof.

The emerald turtle sighed and put the magazine away, getting up to brace for what was coming.

Leo got in position by the stairs, and sure enough they heard Don's yelp and Mikey's footsteps as he hurried downstairs.

Mikey ran straight into Leo's arms.

"Let me go! My baby needs me!" Mikey was vicious as he tried to get out of Leo's grip, kicking and wiggling as much as he could, even using his blunt nails to dig them into Leo's skin.

"Ow, stop that! You know what happened last time!"

"I don't _care_! Let go!"

Donnie came down the stairs, limping a little and rubbing on a forming bruise on his knee.

"Careful, Leo, he's not playing fair." He warned when he reached the bottom of the stairs.

"Mommy!" Nix cracking wail reached them.

Mikey sunk his teeth into Leo's arm, making the forest green turtle let go of him in shock. Seizing his chance, Mikey wiggled free and dashed to the living room.

Donnie and Leo exchanged a look before giving chase. Both of them threw themselves on Mikey just before he could reach Raph, who was holding a crying Nix.

The whole morning it's been easy to subtly keep Mikey away from him, so he wouldn't catch Nix' cold again. Now that Mikey knew his youngest was sick there was no way he'd let himself be quarantined.

That didn't stop his brothers from trying though.

"The last time you've been down for almost two weeks!" Donnie reminded him as he used his weight to keep him down.

"I don't care! I won't let you keep me away from my baby!" Mikey screeched.

Nix wasn't helping at all with his coughing and crying. He wiggled just as hard in Raph's arms as Mikey was in Leo's and Don's grip. Whining he kept making grabby hands for his mommy, leaning forward so he almost fell.

While Mikey has always been a tad bit weaker than his more muscular brothers, his maternal instincts made him an unpredictable force.

He managed to push Don away and growled loudly at Leo before also kicking him off.

Raph watched the display with wide eyes and took a step back from his raging mate.

"I swear to god, Raphael, if you don't give me my baby right now I will castrate you!"

There was an insane glint in those usually happy sky blue eyes, and Raph had enough self-preservation to hand Nix over immediately.

"Mommy..." Nix cuddled close to Mikey, who wrapped him tight in his arms and kissed his head.

"It's okay, honey, mommy's here..." Nuzzling him, Mikey carried his youngest son to the kitchen to prepare some tea.

Donnie and Leo rubbed several bruises as they got up from the floor. Raph winced at the state his mates were in.

"Thinking back, it might've been a dumb idea to stand between a mother and his baby..."

"If that's how he treats _us_, I'm already pitying any strangers trying."

"Baba an' Fafa ow?" Amy asked, eyes wide from where she was sitting by the wooden bars. Ky was standing next to her, watching his parents with a worried frown.

"Aw, no sweetie, we're okay. Just a tiny little boo boo." Leo took Amy while Don let Ky out.

The boy eyed the tiny bruise on Donnie's knee and blew on it with all his might, a little spit hitting the skin too. Amy pressed kisses on every bruise she could see and reach on Leo's skin.

Mikey came back a few minutes later, the baby wrapped in his blanket and snuggling close to his mother while drinking tea from his sippy cup.

Ky stumbled over to Mikey and patted the leg.

"Mommy anwy?" He asked, eyes filling with tears. Amy also crawled over and sat by his feet, pouting.

Mikey gasped and knelt down to them.

"No! I could never be angry at you..." He hugged his two older toddlers close too, kissing each of their heads. "I love my babies..."

"I wuv mommy!" Amy chirped, happy that mommy wasn't angry at them.

"Wuv mommy!" Ky joined in, snuggling his siblings and mother. "Nnniss otay?"

"Yes, he's just a little sick, baby. He's gonna be better in a few days."

"Aaaw... Nnis..." Amy cooed, leaning over to kiss her little brother's head.

"It's okay. Hey, let's build a fort, okay? We can make a nest and cuddle together!" Mikey suggested, delighted by the happy squeals of all three toddlers.

"But first you have to put all of the toys to the side so we have room for the pillows." He explained, smiling as he watched Ky and Amy scramble to do as told.

His three mates carefully stepped closer. Donnie rubbed a hand over Nix head, earning a frown from the toddler. Though the genius was relieved to find the baby didn't seem to run a temperature. Probably just a tiny cough this time, then.

"We could use the blankets from-" Raph was interrupted by Mike's icy glare.

"_We_ are not using anything. I'm not in the mood to cuddle with you right now."

Leo, Donnie and Raph frowned and sighed. It was no use trying to explain they were only worried. Mikey would calm down in a few hours, he always did.

Surprisingly enough Mikey didn't catch Nix' cold. It was just a cough for the toddler, that was mostly annoying for him, as it made it hard for him to sleep through the night.

"Can you believe he's still not forgiven us?" Raph shook his head as he watched Mikey on the couch.

The older mates had just brought Amy and Ky to bed, while Mikey stayed on the couch with Nix, coaxing him into drinking some more tea to help with the cough.

Using a blanket to cover both sleeping Mikey and Nix, Leo shrugged. The past night Mikey and the babies had slept in a warm nest in their fort, and with how the freckled turtle was curled protectively around Nix, it looked like he intended to sleep on the couch this night.

"Well, we shouldn't have tried to keep him away from Nix..."

"With what happened last time, it was the better solution..."

"It was. But of course Mikey wouldn't care. Honestly, I wouldn't have either." Donnie admitted and shrugged, gently stroking his little brother's head.

In his sleep Mikey nuzzled into the touch, sighing. His mates smiled involuntarily.


	9. Chapter 9

"...Happy birthday to you!" The song ended with all the turtles clapping. The triplets too, even though they had no real idea what was going on.

They've celebrated Elia's birthday just a few days ago, and now it was the triplet's first birthday.

Mikey had made one colorful cake for the adults and Elia, and three little cupcakes with a candle each for the toddlers, so they each could blow out a candle on their own.

"You have to blow out the candle!" The three-year-old explained to the birthday kids and tried to demonstrate without accidentally blowing out the candles.

Amy, eager to learn new things, mimicked her and leaned forward on Mikey's lap so she could blow out the flickering light. She was delighted when everyone clapped and cheered and grinned up at Mikey when he nuzzled her.

Nix worked his lips, eyes wide. He wanted that too! So he tried to copy his sister and blew, though he was more like spitting out the candle. It worked though and he too was granted an applause.

Ky gasped at that magic and slapped his hands on the tabletop, wiggling on Don's lap. When he tried to touch the flame Donnie took his hands so he wouldn't burn himself.

"Blow!" Elia cheered him on, and Amy's voice joined hers. "Bow! B-low!"

The boy wrinkled his beak and concentrated on the flame, taking an exaggeratedly big gulp of air before letting it out.

The little crowd cheered again and soon everyone was eating cake.

Leo couldn't believe it's been a year already. It felt like they were at the hospital just the day before. And now they were already talking a little, even walking on their own, celebrating their first birthday.

"Can I give them their presents now?" Elia asked giddily. Kion rolled his eyes with a smile and handed her her little pink handbag. The girl grinned widely and pulled out three pieces of paper. She handed each of the babies a piece and the adults holding them unfolded them.

"Aw, such a cute idea Elia!" Donnie praised, holding the picture so everyone could see it.

It was drawn picture of what looked like their garden, with big and tiny turtles playing with blue globs of water. Ky's name was drawn in the sky, same for Amy and Nix.

"Mommy helped with the names, but I made them all by myself!"

"Wow, you're a little artist! We're gonna hang them in their rooms later!"

"Yay!" Elia cheered proudly.

"Well, for our present we're gonna have to go downstairs." Bogen said after clearing his throat.

Raph exchanged a knowing grin with him.

"Are you talking about that secret _project_ you've been doing the past two weeks?" Leo asked.

For two weeks straight, the family had visited almost every day, and every time Bogen and Raph would lock themselves in one of the basement rooms. Sometimes they'd bring some boxes, but they wouldn't let anyone in to see what was inside.

Kion and Telon knew all along, but it was supposed to be a surprise.

"Yup. Come on."

All the turtles followed Raph and Bogen down the stairs to the mysterious room, the toddlers clinging to their parents.

"Ta-dah!"

The door opened and revealed what was inside. It had been one of the unused empty rooms.

Raph and Bogen had done a great deal of work, a photograph wallpaper showed a flowery meadow in summer with various butterflies and other cute animals that were classified as those in this universe. Most of them resembled guinea pigs and over-sized hamsters.

The rest of the walls were painted in soft pastel green and blue shades, and the overhead light was covered in cotton wool so it looked like a puffy cloud.

A green carpet that looked like grass covered the ground. In one corner there was a rather large ball pit filled with colorful plastic balls. Some of the toys from the playpen were there, and a few big plushies and fluffy pillows were in another corner, creating a nest for snuggles.

"That way Donnie and I can keep an eye on them when we're down here in the lab or my gym." Raph explained, chuckling at the way his babies' eyes went wide at the sight of the ball pit. "And we can make the playpen upstairs a little smaller so we have more room in the living-room."

"Kion had the idea for the snuggle corner and brought the pillows and plushies, and Telon gets the credit for the ball pit. Raph and I did the hard work."

"This is wonderful!" Mikey squealed, setting Amy down and she clumsily stepped over to the ball pit. Ky eagerly came up behind her, beating her to the balls and carefully climbing into it. Nix and Amy couldn't get in on their own, so Leo and Donnie helped them inside. Their reward were a few flying balls and laughing children.

"Mommy, can I play too?" Elia asked, tugging on Kion's hand.

"Of course." The dark turtle chuckled, making his daughter grin widely before she joined the toddlers in the ball pit.

"A really great idea." Donnie commented. "And you did it without destroying the house." He joked, knocking on a shelf filled with baby books with big pictures.

"Yeah yeah, we practiced." Raph pushed against Don's shoulder with a grin.

"Well, Donnie, I guess our present will have to wait until they're tired of playing." Leo said, catching one of the flying balls and throwing it back in the pit.

"Wait," Mikey blinked, "what present? I thought we said no presents, since they're too young to understand anyways?"

Donatello and Leonardo exchanged grins. "Oh, we just couldn't resist. Besides, it's partly a present for you too."

The two left for the lab, leaving the rest to wonder. They heard them rummage around in Don's lab and decided to settle down on the soft carpet, watching their children play.

"Do you know what they got?" Mikey asked Raph, who shook his head with a frown.

"Nah, I was busy preparing this room with Bogen." Kion had a knowing smirk on his face, but kept quiet.

After a few moments Donnie and Leo came back, three thick books in their arms.

They piled them in front of Raph and Mikey. The covers varied in color, light blue, violet and apricot. Each of the toddlers' names was on the covers.

"Are those..."

"Scrapbooks, yeah. Go on, open them."

Mikey grabbed the first from the pile, with Amy's name on it.

On the first page was a photo, taken with their shellcell, the day she was born. She was wrapped in her blanket, in the hospital crib. In glittery letters 'Amethyst' was spelled below it.

With a smile Mikey leaned against Raph's shoulder as they watched the album.

Various pictures of Amy; playing one of the shape games with Donnie, playing plane with Raph, sleeping on her belly, smiling at a funny face Leo made, curiously reaching for the shellcell... The last entry was hand and foot prints of her, '1 year' written above. There was plenty of room left for a few years of more pictures.

The other two scrapbooks looked similar. Nix curled up sleeping on Mikey's plastron, his awestruck expression as he reached for the stars and moon above his old crib, him standing with the help of Raph's hands, a glare directed at the camera, him

Ky smiling brightly at the camera, him in the middle of rolling around, him hugging Leo's leg, his tongue sticking out as he tried to stand up on his own with his diapered butt in the air.

Mikey wiped at his eyes to get rid of the happy tears. Even Raph's eyes became a little misty as he nuzzled Mikey's head.

"It's so beautiful..." The freckled turtle sniffed, hugging Ky's book close to his plastron.

"It was a bunch of work gathering all the pictures from all of the shellcells. And don't get me started on the hand prints." Donnie chuckled.

"And all the glitter, I thought I'd never get it off my fingers." Leo joined in. Both him and Donnie laughed out loud when Mikey jumped them, wrapping his arms around them in a suffocating embrace.

Raph grinned and joined the hug.

"Aaaw, isn't that cute?" Kion squealed, grabbing both of his mates' hands and pulling them close with a grin.

From the ball pit the kids watched their parents cuddle for a moment before simply hugging each other eagerly, creating a baby turtle pile with Elia on the bottom, laughing at the fun she was having with her future best friends.

**_xxxxx_**

"Not too long, okay? I'm not sure how well they handle the cold." Donnie said as he sat Amy on her boot covered feet in the snow.

The toddlers were bundled in warm jackets and custom made pants and boots, since the turtles here never knew them. It was the first time since they've come to this dimension it snowed.

The news reporter on television mentioned it to be the first snow in five whole years.

Mikey adjusted the hat on Ky's head and the scarf on Nix before he let them tot off, moving clumsily in the strange things on their feet over the snow-covered ground.

Amy rather sat down, grabbing at the cold white substance. She curiously put it to her mouth, scrunching up her face at the cold.

"C-old."

"Heh, yeah, you shouldn't eat snow, sweetie." Leo chuckled. He knelt by her, bunching up some snow to make a miniature snowman.

"S-nooo?"

"Snow." Leo repeated for her, smiling at her wondering expression at the little snow figure in front of her.

"Snow." She said with a grin, trying to copy the figure her fafa made.

"Daddy, up!" Nix demanded, not liking the cold stuff. Raph knelt down and put him on his lap.

"Don't you like the snow, honey?" The emerald turtle scooped some of the snow up and held it out for Nix, who pushed it away with a frown.

"No. No s-now."

Chuckling, Raph put his youngest down and patted his shell. "Come on, snow is fun. Look."

Raphael grinned as he formed a snowball. Nix watched with interest as a familiar shape appeared in his daddy's hands. Curiously his gaze followed the ball as Raph threw it at an unsuspecting Donatello.

When the snow hit the back of Don's head the olive turtle glared at Raph, though it softened to amusement when he saw Nix and Raph both covering their mouths while snickering.

"This means war..." Donnie mumbled and fell to his knees too, forming a ball and throwing it at Raph, who ducked away just in time. They kept throwing back and forth, laughing when Nix squealed in joy.

Meanwhile Mikey kept close to Ky, who curiously kept turning around to watch his footprints in the snow. In the tickling green stuff there were never prints before.

"Mommy. S'at?" He pointed at the prints, looking up at Mikey with wide eyes.

"These are your footprints. Look." Mikey sat in the snow and pressed his hand on the white surface, leaving a hand print behind. "And this is a hand print."

Ky gasped cutely and sat next to Mikey, copying him. He was delighted to see his smaller hand print next to his mother's.

"Han-d?" Ky asked, holding up his own hand. Mike nodded with a fond smile.

"Yes, this is your hand. Very good, baby." Ky giggled, throwing his upper body over Mikey's lap to hug him.

"I wuv wu, mommy!"

"Aw, and mommy loves you!" Mikey squealed, picking Ky up and letting himself fall back in the snow. "Let's make a snow turtle."

Mikey sat Ky on his stomach and let his arms and legs fall heavily into the snow. Then he stood up with Ky in his arms and stepped away so he and his son could watch the shape.

"T... Turle?"

"Turtle. You are a turtle, mommy is a turtle..."

"Amy an' Niss turle?"

"Yes, Amy and Nix are turtles too. And daddy, and papa, and fafa..."

Ky blinked down at the shape and wiggled.

"K-y wanna maye s-nowe turle too!"

Mikey laughed and told his son to stretch out his arms and legs before he gently settled him on the ground, reminding him to hold still. After a moment he picked him up again, grinning when Ky giggled at his smaller shape next to Mikey's.

"Fafa, look!" Amy appeared next to them, Leo in tow.

"Do you know what shape this is, princess?" Leo asked as he picked up their daughter to give her a better view.

"Mommy!" Mikey and Leo laughed.

"Yeah, mommy's shape."

"Turle!" Ky supplied, pointing at the shapes on the ground.

"Very good, Ky!" Mikey praised.

"Mommy turtle and baby turtle." Leo added with a smile, tilting his head.

"Turle?"

"Turtle."

"T... Tur-tel."

"Almost. You're such a smart little princess." Leo tickled his daughter, making her laugh.

Suddenly a snowball hit the back of his head. Leo frowned and turned around, catching the next ball aimed at him and firing it back to Raph, managing to hit him square in the face.

"Oh no, we're under attack!" Mikey exclaimed with joy, falling to the ground with Ky and pulling Leo and Amy with him. "We gotta find shelter!"

"Don't worry, fafa is going to save you!" Leo announced in a heroic way, eyes narrowing playfully as he ran towards Raph and Don to start a snow fight.

Mikey watched them in amusement, enjoying the way their babies laughed at the funny way their parents acted.

Their snow fight became rather serious, Raph and Don teamed up against Leo, just like back then when they were sparring in the dojo.

Deciding it was getting too cold, Mikey subtly reached his arms out to Nix, who eagerly stumbled over to his mother and siblings without his daddy noticing as he was concentrating on defeating fafa.

"Come on, sweeties, let's sneak inside." Mikey stage-whispered, making his way inside with his toddlers in tow.

Inside Mikey made quick work of undressing his children and let them sit on a thick warm blanket in the living room. Through the big windows they could watch the other three turtles tire themselves out in the snow while they drank some warm chocolate milk from their sippy cups.

Mikey sat with them, a cup of hot chocolate in his hand as he watched his mates.

He wondered how long it would take these super ninjas to realize they were alone.

When the sippy cups were empty his children abandoned them and crawled close to Mikey to snuggle up to him, sleepy after this exciting experience. The freckled turtle smiled and grabbed a fluffy blanket from the back of the couch to cover all of the toddlers.

Since it didn't look like his mates would stop anytime soon, Mikey curled up with his babies, yawning as the soft breathing of them lulled him to sleep.

**_xxxxx_**

"You think they're old enough for that?" Mikey asked, adjusting his grip on Amy.

The turtles were standing outside, on the street with some other turtles living in The Heights. They all were facing the open field, where a few workers were setting up a firework.

"Look, most of the toddlers in that age are watching the fireworks too." Raph said, motioning to another family with a toddler standing close by.

"They're barely awake." Leo commented, stroking Ky's head from where it rested on Raph's shoulder.

A sudden pop made all of the snoozing babies jump and blink in surprise. The colorful lights in the sky caught their attention.

Despite jumping every time another firework went off, they were mesmerized by the show. Amy reached for them, jerking her arm back an inch every time another pop went off.

Nix got used to the startling sound rather quick, watching the fireworks with wide eyes and open mouth.

Ky on the other hand slapped his hands over his ear-holes, squeezing his eyes shut as he hid his face in Raph's shoulder.

"Aw, c'mon champ, it's not so bad." Raph tried to console him, rubbing his carapace.

Since Leo was the only one not holding a baby, he used his hands to cover Ky's hands to further muffle the scary sounds. He gently turned Ky's head to the light show.

He laughed when their firstborn's eyes widened at the sight.

The family enjoyed the new year's fireworks, standing close together. Things were going well, they had a rosy future ahead of them.

**_xxxxx_**

"... Did I miss something?" Raph asked as he entered the dining room.

The table was filled with various breakfast foods, with waffles and pancakes shaped like hearts.

Leo and Donnie were already sitting there, feeding their toddlers. Mikey appeared behind Raph and pushed him to sit on his chair.

"It's the 14th, Raph!" He exclaimed, pressing a kiss to Raph's cheek.

"... and...?"

"Shell Raph, even I got what he meant." Leo snickered.

"It's Valentine's Day!" Mikey exclaimed, making Donnie chuckle.

"Oh... right!"

In this dimension they didn't really know of holidays. They didn't celebrate Christmas, Eastern or Valentine's Day. The turtles mostly adapted to the lifestyle, so their children would grow up like the others.

However, Valentine's Day was one of their favorite holidays, there was no harm to have a little celebration breakfast together, before Donnie had to leave for work and Leo left for the dojo to teach a few police newbies.

Later that night they would celebrate in private, but that was another page in the book.

"When will you be back?" Mikey asked Leo and Donnie. Sometimes Leo would spend some time with the cop in charge of the new recruits, as they got along quite well. And Donnie often forgot time when he was busy with his inventions.

"I think I can get off earlier today." Don smiled at the way Mike's face lit up.

"And I'll make sure to come home right after the combat training."

"Really? That's awesome!" Raph smiled into his cup of coffee at his youngest mate's enthusiasm.

"We could fill the hot tub, we haven't used it in a while." Raphael suggested, earning approving nods. It was still quite cold, and the tub was the second best way to warm up.

"If we don't make it too hot we can take the babies with us, right?"

"Yes, we just have to keep it short, maybe 15 minutes." Donnie mused as he handed Amy a piece of waffle.

"They're probably gonna sleep soon after..."

They exchanged smirks. They barely had time to get physical the past year. It's been easier since their toddlers slept through the night, still they were mostly too exhausted to do much with how the kids kept them busy all day.

So this evening they put their babies into bed after their dip in the whirlpool.

Mikey just closed the door to Nix bedroom after the little one fell asleep and promptly squeaked when he was lifted up by Raph. With a giggle he clung to the muscular neck as the emerald turtle carried him to their bedroom, where Donnie and Leo were already waiting for them.

The skylight was open, revealing the numerous stars. The fairy lights gave the bed a romantic glow. Mikey churred at the sight of Leo nibbling on Don's neck. He pressed his own lips to Raph's neck and licked at the skin, rewarded when the taller turtle churred.

He was thrown on the soft pile of mattresses and the next hour the bedroom was filled with moans and churrs and heavy breathing as they gave into their lust.

After their first round they laid side by side, sated grins on their faces as they watched the stars.

"That was great..." Donnie breathed, snuggling to his mates.

"We should really do that way more often... like, every day would be great." Mikey purred.

Leo laughed and reached over Donnie to grab Mike's hand.

"Since when are you so horny? Mating season is a month away."

"And a few months ago you wouldn't let us touch you at all."

"Oh shut up, that was when I was still sore from laying three fucking eggs." Mikey stretched, turning to lay on his plastron. "Are you seriously complaining?"

Donnie smirked and grabbed the wiggling tail, leaning over to nuzzle his little brother's face.

"_I'm_ not complaining. When you were holding out on us _my_ ass was sore from those two brutes. I think I deserve some compensation, baby..."

Mikey moaned when Don's hand massaged his tail, to excite him for round two.

"Mh, I guess you do." He chuckled, turning his head completely to greet Don's tongue with his own.

A sound from their baby monitor made each of them freeze. Sure enough there were several calls from their babies. "Mommy! Fafa! Papa! Daddy!"

Raph groaned along with Don.

"Were we really that loud?"

"No. And the walls should be thick enough so they wouldn't hear us."

"Maybe they had a bad dream?"

"All of them at once?"

All speculations were not getting them anywhere, one of the toddlers was starting to cry pitifully.

Leo sighed. "I guess that cuts off our Valentine's night..."

"At least we had one round." Raph got up and rubbed his face.

"Maybe they'll fall back asleep... I was kinda not done yet." Donnie pouted. He enjoyed bottoming most of the time, but it's really been ages since he got to top, as Mikey was the only one who would let him.

Mikey kissed his cheek in consolation before getting up. "We just decided to do this every night." He offered with a yawn as they made their way to the kids' rooms. "You can have me for the next two months, I don't care."

"I might take you up on that." Donnie mumbled, squeezing one of the firm sea-green globes.

Mikey giggled and entered Nix' room with Donnie, while Raph and Leo continued to the next rooms.

Nix was standing upright in his crib, gripping the bars with tear-filled eyes and a pout on his face. He reached up to Mikey.

"Mommy... Papa..."

Mikey picked him up and gently bounced him as the baby clung to him.

"What is it, honey? Did you have a bad dream?"

"Scawed." Nix mumbled against Mike's skin, eyes squeezed shut.

"What scared you, Nix?" Donnie asked, gently rubbing his youngest son's head to sooth him.

The toddler just shook his head and buried his face in Mike's shoulder. When he calmed down a little, Mikey tried to put him back in his crib, but the boy kept clinging to him, crying more.

"Oh no, sweetie, what's wrong?"

"Mommy. Sday wit mommy." Mikey felt his heart go out on him as he cuddled his baby close, and Donnie mentally bid round two goodbye.

"Phoenix, my little darling, you have to sleep at some point. It's already dark." Don tried.

"No... sleep wit mommy an' papa..." The little face lifted to look at Donnie and the genius cursed Mikey for passing on his puppy-dog eyes to all three of them.

The brilliant green eyes were wide and tear-filled as his quivering bottom lip stuck out. "Pwease papa... I scawed..."

"Aw Donnie..." With the combined faces of Mikey and Nix there was no way Donnie could deny them anything. He let out a suffering sigh.

"Fiiine, but just for one night. And you're explaining it to Raph and Leo."

"Did you hear that, angelcakes? You're gonna sleep with mommy!" Mikey grinned as he nuzzled his baby's face, walking to their bedroom.

They were surprised to find their older mates already back in bed, Amy and Ky with them. They had changed the soiled blanket for a fresh fluffy one.

"They were scared of something." Leo explained, smiling at the wide eyes staring at the stars.

"Couldn't really say no. They got Mike's freaking puppy-dog eyes." Raph grumbled without heat, scooting backwards on the large bed to make room for his younger mates.

"Don't I know it..." Don chuckled and settled down on the offered space. He pulled Amy closer so Mikey could place Nix in between his siblings. Then Mikey settled on Ky's other side and clasped hands with Donnie, while Leo spooned him from behind.

It didn't take long for the toddlers to fall asleep.

"Happy Valentine's Day..." Leo chuckled, nuzzling the back of Mike's neck when he yawned.

"Happy Valentine's Day."

**_xxxxx_**

Meanwhile, ways off in the city's jail someone was having quite the opposite of a quiet night.

"I have rights! This is not okay!" The slender turtle grunted as he strained against the chains holding him down.

"You've lost your rights when you killed one of our own to save a filthy rabbit." The prison warden spat. "And look where it got you. He just left you behind like the piece of trash you've become."

The sub growled at the warden, but he knew the turtle was right. Still. He warily eyed the turtle in a lab coat, holding a cup with blue liquid. When he came closer the sub struggled again.

"Calm down," the scientist said, "it's not gonna hurt. Probably."

He lubed up a speculum and made quick work of inserting it into the prisoner's entrance. The sub grunted in discomfort, groaning when his entrance was spread uncomfortably.

"Why bother with lube? He certainly doesn't deserve it with how he's let a rabbit bang him." The warden grumbled with crossed arms.

If it were up to him, the traitor would've been sent to exile, but the mayor had insisted the sub would stay imprisoned. The scientist showing up made it clear that he was to be used for an experiment.

"None of your business. You have your orders, I have mine." The scientist tilted his head at the sub's frightened expression. "You will swallow this, or death awaits you. Ordered directly by the mayor."

The warden perked up at that. Death? Sure, the sub was a traitor and killed a fellow turtle, but death penalty...

The sub's eyes widened with fear. He certainly didn't want to die. With tears running down his eyes he opened his mouth to swallow the blue liquid. Satisfied, the scientist sat down on a wheeled chair, scooting over to sit between the tied open legs. Using a flashlight, he examined the spread hole, gaze finding the little opening that led to the uterus.

It was still tightly shut, looking like a scar. The warden stood by the side with a frown. What the heck was this all about? It wasn't his place to ask, though.

The sub didn't seem to be in pain. For a while nothing happened. The scientist was patient as he waited. The warden didn't know how long they've been waiting. It felt like hours.

Suddenly the sub jerked, a blush appearing on his face as his hips strained against the straps holding them in place.

The scientist looked at his watch and scribbled something on a clipboard. He placed a mask over his beak.

He started to grin when he saw the mouth of the uterus slowly opening.

"Finally..." He breathed, waiting for another few minutes.

The warden sniffed, feeling his own cheeks redden.

"What is this?"

"Again, none of your business." The scientist took notice of the warden's arousal. "Does his scent affect you?"

Hesitating, the warden nodded. "It's almost smells like mating season... but not as strong." He admitted.

The scientist wrote that down with a nod.

"Interesting. You may go home to your wife. This prisoner is in my custody for the rest of the night." The warden was about to protest, but reminded himself that the other male was higher ranked than himself. With a nod he left the room.

The scientist turned to the sub again, drawing some blood and doing various kinds of tests.

"P-Please... L-let me go... I have t-to..."

"What does it feel like?"

"I... I want to f-fuck..."

"Mhm. Want me to get the warden back? If he's exposed to you longer he might give in."

"N-No! I don't want h-him..."

"What about me?"

The sub shook his head with a disgusted expression, still trying to get some relief by wiggling his hips. The scientist smiled behind his mask and wrote more down.

**_xxxxx_**

The next morning a phone rang.

Don's prototype has been sold a few thousand times in the last months, everyone owned a shellcell now.

The mayor shot upright from the breakfast table and hurried to answer the call. His eyes widened when he saw it was one of his scientists.

"Dreon?"

"_Mayor Voron,"_ the scientist called Dreon greeted him, _"the drug is a success." _

Voron eagerly walked to his office so his wife wouldn't overhear and closed the door behind him.

"Did you try it on the imprisoned sub?"

"_Yes. It takes effect after about one and a half hour. The sub feels aroused and the uterus opens up. The warden was affected by the scent, though he was still in control. The sub was horny, but in control of his need. The drug works about twelve hours until the uterus closes again."_

"Only twelve hours?"

"_We're not sure if a larger dose would prolong the phase. But too much of the nightflower could lead to cardiac insufficiency. The dose we used right now works fine, we could try to double it, but-"_

"No, no, it's okay. Keep it at that. We're not endangering lives. How is the prisoner?"

"_He didn't feel any pain, and after I allowed him to pleasure himself he was calm for the rest of the night." _

"Do you think impregnating him would've worked?"

"_Unfortunately he's infertile; his womb is completely useless. The sperm would've died inside. If he was fertile, I'm 97% sure it would've worked. The uterus is open, the chances to get pregnant are just as high as during mating season." _

Voron grinned at hearing that. The short time frame could be a problem, but that only meant he had to be extra sneaky.

"Thank you Dreon. Can you make two more vials of it?"

"_Of course. It's gonna take a few weeks though, we need more nightflowers to get the right amount." _

"Don't worry, Dreon. Take the time you need and report as soon as you have the two vials."

"_As you wish, Mayor Voron."_


	10. Chapter 10

"The suppressants worked." Donnie chuckled, holding up a negative pregnancy test.

"Of course it worked. It worked last time too." Mikey rolled his eyes, though he was relieved.

"If you were so sure, why did you insist on taking a test?" Leo teased, leaning against a wall.

"Last time we _all_ took suppressants, we didn't have _any_ sex during mating season. This time you went berserk on my ass, and who knows what your mutated sperm could do!"

Raph snorted. "It's not mutated sperm. Donnie said there's only a tiny bit of mutagen in it, just enough to mix it. It won't change your insides, right babe?"

Donnie nodded and threw away the red colored stripe. In this world, the pregnancy test consisted of a gray stripe of paper. There were some chemicals in it. When you pee on it, it changes color in about three minutes. Green means pregnant, red means not.

The genius washed his hands while he answered.

"Don't worry, sweetheart. The suppressants are working well."

"Who're you telling? It was quite scary to see you act like that when you're not a sex zombie yourself."

"Still you enjoyed yourself, right?" Leo asked, a frown appearing on his face.

"Yeah of course." Mikey playfully punched Leo's biceps. "The only annoying thing was that instead of resting with you in between I had to take care of our kids. How do other families manage?"

"Telon said there are infertile turtles that play nanny for that time... and the daycare centers are specially prepared for the two days of mating season."

"It might be better to let a nanny take over next time... they are still miffed because we didn't see them the whole time." Raph stretched his arms above his head.

"No. I won't let a stranger take care of my babies. You all are going to use the suppressants next time, like last year."

"Oh come on, are you serious?"

Mikey glared at Raph's question. "Look into my eyes, Raphael. Do I look like I'm kidding? I don't think so."

"Geeze, chill baby. Whatever." Raphael rolled his eyes and followed his mates out the door.

Mating season had been two weeks ago, and Mikey had been anxious that the suppressant/preservative didn't work because of their mutagen. He guessed that there was nothing he could do if he really got pregnant, but he couldn't deny that he was really relieved that he wasn't.

Raph had to admit, he had hoped that by some miracle the pills wouldn't work. He would never force Mike into another pregnancy, but he really wouldn't mind having more babies.

Their triplets were a handful of work, still he enjoyed every second of it.

Speaking of the triplets, they were already wide awake in their cribs, standing and waiting for their parents to let them out. They babbled happily at the sight of Mikey, and pouted at their other parents.

"Aw, don't pout. When you're older you'll understand." Raph scolded Ky playfully as he lifted him out of his bed.

"Are you hungry?" Mikey asked Amy as he carried her downstairs, his mates and other kids in tow.

"Hungy!" Amy giggled, rubbing her belly.

**_xxxxx_**

"Sooo, how was mating season?" Donnie jumped at Mayor Voron's voice next to him. He chuckled at his own jumpiness and blushed. Apparently in this dimension the concept of privacy was not well known.

"Uh, hi Voron. It was good."

"I was told you didn't take a nanny for the triplets... may I ask why?"

"Oh, well, you see..." Donnie started. He had still in mind that suppressants were forbidden now that the year was over. And despite having the highest ranked jobs, Leo and Raph were home almost 24/7. There was no good reason that would satisfy the mayor.

"We prepared. We timed the mating, and in between we tended to the children. They were in their play room most of the time."

Voron frowned. "Huh. That doesn't sound ideal."

Donnie shrugged. "They were a little cranky." He admitted.

"Ah well, next time you should take them to the daycare center, or get a nanny. I would watch them, Asinda loves children." At least Voron seemed pleased that they didn't completely skip this mating season.

"That's a very gracious offer, we'll think about it." There was no chance in hell he'd allow the mayor to watch over their kids. Raph and Mikey would trounce him alive, and honestly Donatello was more afraid of Mike's wrath than of Raph's.

Voron smiled pleasantly and acted a little too nonchalant as he examined one of the gizmos laying on Don's desk. The genius waited patiently for the older turtle to finally spill what's on his mind. What he came for.

"So you decided to have more kids, after all?" Donnie quickly licked his lips, pretending to concentrate on his current experiment. He was always so bad at lying.

"We decided to just go with the flow. Whatever happens happens, you know?"

"Understandable, yeah. And? It's been three weeks, does Michelangelo show signs of pregnancy?"

"Unfortunately he doesn't. Looks like it didn't work out this time."

"Mh, a pity, really..." Voron sounded thoughtful.

"Eh yeah, it is. I mean, the triplets are taking up much of our time, so it's not _that_ bad it didn't work. Maybe when they're a little older it's better so we can properly raise them."

The dark eyes of the mayor narrowed on Donatello's shell. He quickly schooled his expression. He had hoped the olive turtle would want more children immediately, like this insufferable doctor and his stubborn mate...

"Really a pity. But I guess you're right, Donatello. I'll let you get back to work." When Donnie was sure Voron was gone, he let out a breath. He kinda understood now why Mikey didn't like him...

**_xxxxx_**

"My dear Telon! How are you doing?"

Telon looked up from his desk when his door opened after a short knock. His eyes widened when he spotted Mayor Voron.

"Mayor, what can I do for you?"

"Oh, Telon. I just wanted to stop by and ask how you were doing."

The doctor cleared his throat and shook his head in surprise.

"That's really nice. I'm fine. What about you?"

"I'm okay. Just a tiny thing that bothers me, to be honest, but otherwise I'm great."

"What's bothering you? Is there anything I can do to help?"

"We'll see, my friend, we'll see. Can I ask, is Kion still against a second baby?"

Telon lowered his gaze for a moment. Then he nodded, trying a smile.

"Yeah. He wants to wait until Elia's older."

"And that bothers you?" Voron sighed in sympathy.

"I would lie if I said no." Telon chuckled, rubbing a hand over his head. "I guess I'm just disappointed. Did you know we're pretty close to Donnie, Leo, Raph and Mikey?"

"Leonardo and Donatello mention you a lot, yes." Voron pretended to think about it, inwardly cheering at how good this conversation was playing out.

"Well yes. We practically saw their babies grow the past year, and I really want another baby now that Elia is out of that age... A child that is biologically _mine, _you know?"

"Perfectly understandable, my friend. Did you talk to him? What does Bogen say?"

Feeling glad the mayor understood him, Telon sighed in relief.

"Ever since he managed to imprison those rapists, Bogen is on my page in the baby matter. But Kion is pretty insistent that he wants to wait. He says he wants to be pregnant with Mikey together. They've become very close friends."

"Hm... Telon. I think I know of a way to make us both happy."

The doctor blinked.

"What?"

"In fact, everyone would benefit from it." Voron reached into his bag and pulled out the two vials with the blue liquid.

Telon picked one up, eyes narrowing as he tried to identify it.

"What is this?"

"A hormonal drug. My scientists have been working on it for ages, and two months ago we finished the last tests."

The medic frowned, unsure of what Voron was telling him. "A hormonal drug...? What for?"

"You see, this is top secret. If you lose one word of it, to anyone, it will have severe consequences."

Telon opened his mouth, but closed it again without a sound. Mayor Voron had always taken good care of his people. There was no reason not to trust him. And he had said it would make all of them happy.

"Alright."

Voron smiled. "Very well. This drug opens the sub's uterus for whole twelve hours."

Understanding the implication immediately, Telon's wide eyes fixated on the drug.

"This is impossible."

"We tested it on a convicted criminal, Telon. It's absolutely harmless. The sub feels a little friskier than usual until he climaxed, the uterus stays open for about twelve hours. Otherwise the drug doesn't affect them at all."

"... Are you suggesting I drug Kion?" Telon asked after swallowing.

"I am offering you a solution to your problem. A way to fulfill your wish."

"Still... Kion wouldn't want it."

"He doesn't have to know. Maybe there's been a change in his biology, something none of us could've foreseen..."

Telon licked his lips.

"I don't know, mayor..." Voron leaned back on the chair he's been sitting on.

"Like I said, it's completely harmless. And if you combine it with a little favor for me, I'm sure I can find a place for you in the City Hall."

Now _that_ got the doctor's attention. His biggest dream, along with his wish for more children, all of it was just presented to him.

"R-Really? You're promoting me?"

"Well, those I can trust, those who are loyal to me, deserve a place in The Heights."

Telon's heart thumped hard against his plastron.

"What kind of favor would that be?" Voron shrugged nonchalantly.

"Oh. Just a tiny little favor. I want you to drug Michelangelo too."

The medic's jaw dropped. It was one thing to drug his own mate, but if Leo, Raph and Donnie knew they would kill him. He wasn't even sure Bogen would approve, and the guys were a whole different matter.

"M-Mayor... his mates would _kill_ me..."

"I know for a fact that his mates wouldn't mind more babies. Besides, no one has to know. You just have to find a good explanation to the sudden pregnancy."

Telon stared at the vials.

"Everyone would benefit from it."

_Except for Kion and Mikey_, Telon mused. On the other hand, when they held their babies for the first time they were happy too. They would get over it. The benefits clearly over-weighed.

"I don't want to sound ungrateful... but what do _you_ gain from this?"

Voron smiled with a shrug.

"Honestly, I'm fascinated by our new friends' genetics. The kids are gonna be great additions to our system, just like _they_ are already. Just imagine how wonderful our city would be if we had more brilliant minds like Donatello, how easily we could overthrow our enemies with Leonardo's strategic and leading qualities? How strong fighters like Raphael would be? And Michelangelo's fertility is the key to it."

For a few long moments Telon didn't know what to say. It made sense, in a way. And it's not like Voron was forcing Mikey to be bred by any stranger, he was just encouraging to make more love-children with his mates.

"... So you want me to drug Michelangelo, and in exchange I get the second sample to drug Kion, a promotion _and_ a house in The Heights?" Telon summarized, a thoughtful expression on his face.

"Do we have a deal, Telon?"

The medic hesitated, heart hammering.

"Yes. We have a deal."

**_xxxxx_**

A few weeks passed until Telon found his chance. He would never dare to drug Mikey in his friends' house, with those silent hyper observant mates of his all around.

So he waited, told his own mates of his promotion and suggested they'd invite their friends over to tell them the news.

As expected they were happy for them. When Elia wanted to go outside with the toddlers, Leo, Raph and Bogen went with them. As soon as the remaining turtles' cups were empty, Telon almost fell over himself to take the tray to the kitchen for a refill.

Since Donnie preferred coffee, he made his cup first and brought it to his friend.

"Eh, honey, can you get me some of that new juice instead?" Kion asked, turning to Mikey. "Do you want a glass too? It's a fruit from close to the sea. I always feel really refreshed afterwards."

"Oh, uh, sure." Mikey grinned and Telon almost couldn't believe his luck.

The juice Kion was referring to was of a dark color, the blue liquid would mix with it without raising suspicion. He pressed a kiss to Kion's head.

"Sure, I'll fix you two glasses."

In the kitchen Telon hurried to empty the two vials in a glass each, and tilted the carton of juice to fill both glasses completely. He jumped when Donnie appeared behind him.

"What kind of juice is this?" Don asked, raising an eye-ridge at his friend's jumpiness. "Are you okay?"

"Haha, yes, of course. I'm great. You just scared me. Haha."

Donnie chuckled and took the offered carton. "Oh, they look like grapes back in our dimension. Mikey loves grape juice."

"That's great. Try some, there's a glass in the cupboard in front of you."

"I'm sure Mikey won't mind if I take a sip from his glass, no need to-" Telon quickly grabbed both full glasses before Don could take one. He wasn't sure if the drug would affect normal turtles, but he wouldn't risk it.

"Tch, Donnie, don't be silly. We have enough glasses."

The genius was quite put off by Telon's strange behavior. However, the doctor was probably just giddy because he finally got his promotion. So Donnie grabbed a fresh glass and poured some of the juice.

"Eh yeah. So, you're gonna _celebrate_ later?" Donnie wiggled his eye-ridges, happy that they were gonna be neighbors with their friends.

"Hehe, yes, that's the plan. It's a pity Bogen has a night shift, but we'll just celebrate again tomorrow." _As soon as the drug isn't working anymore and my cum is the only one in Kion's womb_, he added in his mind.

"What about you? You guys seem really relaxed lately."

"Since the triplets sleep better, our sex life improved again. Well, it got back to normal, if I'm honest." A small blush appeared on Don's cheeks. "When Mikey got pregnant we were rather careful, especially in the later months. And after he gave birth there was a long time without any sex at all."

He and Telon knew each other long enough that they could talk about their sex life without shame, like Mikey could with Kion, and Leo and Raph could with Bogen.

"Mhm, especially when the kids wake up every few hours. You learn to sleep when they do." Telon chuckled, thinking back to when Elia had been in that difficult age.

"Hey, can I ask you something personal?" Telon asked, leaning against the doorpost with the glasses still clutched in his hands.

"Sure." How much more personal could it get?

"Did you ever try double penetration? Sorry, I've just been curious, since your mating pack consists of four turtles..."

"Oh, it's okay... um. Yes, we did. Back then when we first came here we did it for the first time. And since then we kinda do it from time to time. Mostly with Mikey, cause he really enjoys being penetrated. I tried it once but it was..." Donnie scrunched up his face and shrugged, "... uncomfortable."

Donatello sipped from his own glass, blushing a little.

"We've talked about trying triple penetration." He admitted, mumbling into the glass. Telon's eyes widened.

"Really? Oh my shell." Telon laughed. "Do you think that would work?"

"We've been going over some positions that could work. Maybe tonight we'll try, when the kids are in bed."

"Wow, good luck. Just make sure he's stretched properly." Telon warned.

"We are working on it every day." Donnie laughed and followed his friend back to the living room.

"Thanks honey." Kion snuggled against Telon and took a big gulp from the sweet juice.

"It's grape juice." Donnie told Mikey, who grinned widely and quickly drained the whole glass.

"Oh greeeat... where did you buy it? Donnie, we gotta get some on our way home."

Donatello glanced at the clock. "Mh, speaking of, we should head back soon. It's getting dark. We can get the juice tomorrow."

"Aw... alright." Mikey leaned into the nuzzle Donnie gave him with a smile.

"So, when's the big move? We're gonna help."

Kion finished his glass and rubbed the back of his hand over his mouth.

"Next week. But we don't have much to take with us, Mayor Voron assured us we'd get the same interior as you... minus the skylight. Which I'm really jealous of, by the way."

Donnie chuckled. "I can talk to Voron's engineers. If you temporarily sleep in another room we can make you one."

"You'd do that? That'd be great!"

"Please, you did so much for us, of course we're gonna help you with that."

Telon's smile didn't quite reach his eyes as he stared at his friends. Did he make a mistake...?

**_xxxxx_**

_Something isn't right_, Mikey thought.

On their way home they had some dinner, and since it was late enough they put their toddlers in bed as soon as they got home. With how much they've played the whole afternoon and evening, they slept like rocks.

Anyways, Mikey felt way friskier than usual all of a sudden. He was sitting on their couch, trying to concentrate on some show running.

Leo and Donnie were taking a quick shower before bed, while Raph was picking up a few toys.

Those dilated sky blue eyes were straying over to the emerald turtle more frequently until Mikey just settled on watching those muscles move. Oh how he loved those strong arms, when he was wrapped in them while this deliciously thick hot cock was thrusting...

A churr escaped Mikey before he could stop himself. Raphael froze and took a single sniff, his own pupils dilating. Was it him, or did his youngest mate smell even more alluring than usual?

Clearing his throat and chuckling, Raph threw the last of the toys into the playpen.

"Someone's horny." he stated with a smirk, leaning against the back of the couch. The back of his hand trailed up Mike's neck and over the flushed cheek.

Mikey bit his lip and climbed over the back of the couch, wrapping his arms and legs around Raph. He buried his face in the muscular neck, inhaling the masculine scent and churring again.

"Let's get to bed..." Michelangelo breathed against the skin of his brother, moaning when Raph's strong hands gripped his ass and he was lifted off the back of the couch.

When they passed the upper bathroom, Leo and Don just came out. They could smell the arousal and felt themselves harden from the scent alone. With anticipating churrs they trailed behind their mates to the bedroom.

"Shell baby, you're already leaking..." Raph growled in deep arousal when he was on the bed, a hand moving from the supple ass to the wet entrance.

"Are you just gonna feel around or are we getting it on?" Mikey moved his hips and grinned, eager to be filled.

Two of Raph's fingers slipped in easily enough. "Hey babe," he called over his shoulder to Donnie, "do you think he's ready for all three of us?"

Donnie bit his lip at the arousing thought as he joined them on the bed. "Yeah. Definitely." The olive lips covered sea-green ones as the genius' fingers coaxed Mikey's cock out of its pouch.

Mikey arched into the touch, moaning into Don's mouth.

"How are we doing it?" Leo asked, his hand having a tight grip on Raph's cock.

"Let's start with Raph and I." Donnie suggested, all blood rushing south.

Raph grinned and eagerly got in position, with him laying on his carapace and Mikey straddling him. The sub didn't need much encouragement and slammed himself onto the big cock, eliciting churrs from all of them.

Since they've been going double for a while now, Don's erection slipped into Mikey's lubed hole with practiced ease. They gave a few experimental thrusts, groaning at the feeling.

"Okay Leo..." Donnie moaned, moving forward carefully so Mikey's plastron was pressed on Raph's, and Don himself rested on his youngest mate's carapace. He spread his legs to reveal the already stuffed hole to Leo's questing fingers.

Mike's dick was squeezed between their plastrons, it was almost uncomfortable, but with how aroused he was it was just adding to the pleasure.

The leader put more lube from a bottle on his cock and pushed Donnie further so he had enough room to prod the tip of his erection against the entrance.

Donnie and Raph were busy covering every inch of skin they could reach with open-mouthed kisses to distract him.

"Think you can take it?" Raph husked into Mike's ear-slit, having a hard time holding still with how tight his cock was encased.

"Ngh... fuck yes! Leo, please!"

Leonardo churred and pushed against the hole, forcing the head of his cock inside. He waited a few moments until he was sure he wouldn't come from the intense pressure around his dick, and then slowly moved his hips, rocking further and further into the wet entrance.

All of them groaned and churred when he got as far as possible with their current position.

"Oh shell..." Donnie let out a few strangled breaths, clinging to his little brother.

"This is... oh fuck..." Raph said, his hands holding onto Mikey's hips so he wouldn't drop completely and crush his own erection.

"It feels amazing..." Leo rested his head on Don's shell, pulling Raph's thighs close to get some leverage.

"Please move..." Mikey begged. It wasn't as painful as he imagined, his mates had been doing a great job preparing him.

"Gladly..."

It took them some time to find a rhythm that worked for all of them, but eventually they were moving fluidly against each other. It was such a pleasurable feeling to be so close to each other.

Mikey bit Raph's shoulder as he practically screamed in pleasure, the muscles surrounding the three big cocks in his ass clenching and fluttering as an intense orgasm hit him. It was a surprise how fast he came, but with the exciting experience and the added sensation of his ass squeezing them, Leo, Don and Raph followed soon after.

For a few long moments they kept still, until they came down from their highs. Carefully and one by one they pulled out of the heavily stretched hole.

Donatello pressed a kiss on one of the supple cheeks and rubbed the other in a soothing gesture before coming to rest on his side next to Raph and Mikey. Leo smiled, satisfied and wrapped his arms around his genius brother.

Reluctantly, Raphael also slipped out of the still twitching entrance and helped Mikey tuck himself away. He huffed a laugh when Mikey just let himself drop on his plastron, yawning and snuggling to it.

The youngest turtle whined when Raph moved him to Donnie's arms so he could wipe the cum off of him with a towel.

"I can't believe we did it." Leo sighed, nuzzling Don's neck.

"Mh... we did good work with stretching him."

"Heh, so if we stretch you just as good we could fit inside you too?"

Donnie opened one eye to glare sleepily at Raph.

"Why don't we try with _you_, hm?"

Mikey giggled at the expression on the alphas face and wiggled closer to Donnie's plastron, yawning again as he felt exhaustion catch up with him. He didn't even hear Raph's retort.


	11. Chapter 11

Mikey spit into the sink and took another gulp of the tap water, this time to swallow it. With a short glance to the toilet he straightened to look at his reflection in the mirror.

He's been fine the whole morning. They had shared a nice breakfast together before Donnie and Leo left for work. Raph and Mikey had played a little game of hide and seek with the toddlers, until the freckled turtle decided to start making lunch.

Raph took Ky and Amy outside, while Nix stayed with Mikey to help, as usual.

Phoenix was sitting on the ground in a safe distance, stirring with a wooden spoon in a plastic bowl. When the noodles were done Mikey let one cool down by the side and fed his little chef with it, giggling at the way Nix exaggeratedly "Mmmmh"-ed and rubbed his belly.

"Now it's time for the tomato sauce." Mikey announced, smiling at his son as he opened a box with tomato paste to make the sauce with it.

When he emptied the container into a pot, the scent hit him full force. The next thing he knew was himself retching into the toilet.

He didn't feel sick. Not even a tiny bit queasy. Only when he smelled the tomatoes. It was ridiculous.

"Mommy sssick?" Nix hesitantly wrapped his arms around Mikey's leg, looking up with a worried frown that made him look like Leo.

"Aw, no baby. Mommy's tummy just didn't like breakfast."

That had to be the reason. It was the only logical explanation.

"Come on, let's finish lunch before fafa and papa come home."

It was Friday, so Don got off at lunch time and got home around the same time as Leo after his course.

Holding his breath, Mikey got rid of the horribly smelling tomato paste and whipped up a cheese sauce instead. The paste was probably expired, that's why it had this awful stench.

**_xxxxx_**

It was around three in the afternoon when the doorbell rang. Leo went to open it and all the way to the living room they could hear Elia's happy squeal.

With her parents in tow, she skipped into the living room, going straight for the playpen, where her best friends greeted her happily.

The adults exchanged a few greetings themselves. Their move to The Heights was about three weeks ago, just a few houses down the street.

"Mikey, I just _have_ to show you something. There's this great new shop." Kion was tense, Mikey could tell. Getting the hint that he wanted to talk to him alone, the sea-green turtle cleared his throat.

"Sure. Guys, we're out of eggs anyways, Kion and I will go get some on our way."

The Heights had a few simple shops so the habitats wouldn't have to walk all the way to the city for simple things such as eggs or some fruit, for example. Since this part of town was more sheltered, Raph, Leo and Donnie were pretty relaxed when Mikey wanted to go out on his own here.

As soon as they were a few feet away from the house, Kion exploded.

"I think I might be pregnant!" His voice was panicked, but hushed.

Mike's eyes widened and he gulped.

"Uh... Oh. Why would you think that...?"

"Morning sickness. Yesterday was the first time, so I brushed it off, but today again, already two times..." Kion bit on his knuckles in nervousness.

"Oh shell. But it's not possible! Mating season was two months ago! There's no way we're pregnant!"

"We?" Kion stopped in his tracks to stare wide-eyed at his friend.

"Yeah... uhm. Last time I was pregnant I reacted pretty violently to the smell of tomatoes. When I tried to cook tomato sauce today I threw up at the smell..." Mikey wrapped his arms around himself as they kept walking. "And the exhaustion. I thought it was just because I was running around with the kids so much..."

"... This can't be a coincidence. Heck, we _can't_ be pregnant. It's just not possible. We took preservatives." Kion shook his head, rubbing his upper arm with the other hand.

"I _know_. I even took a test three weeks after mating season to be sure. It was negative."

For a few minutes they both walked in silence, each lost in their own thoughts.

"Do you think it could be...?" Kion whispered.

"I have no idea. Maybe it's just the symptoms? Hallucination? Phantom pregnancy?"

Kion bit his lip. They reached the small shopping mile, coming to a stop by a drugstore.

"We could do the test... just to be sure..."

"Didn't you tell Telon and Bogen? I mean, Telon could've tested it immediately with his lab at home."

"Are you crazy? I was freaking out enough. Did _you_ tell your mates?"

"No. Until you started this pregnancy talk I was still telling myself it was something I ate. Because technically it _can't_ be possible."

They looked at each other, and then at the drugstore. In a way it was ridiculous. It couldn't be. And yet they both knew what the first symptoms felt like, having been through it one time already. A test would give them clarity, and at the same time they were afraid of the results.

"It's just so weird we're both experiencing it... at the same time too." Kion mumbled as they walked through the aisles, straight towards the baby section.

"I didn't take any weird medication or stuff... did you?"

Kion shook his head. "Not even headache medicine. But even if I had, it never had pregnancy as side effect."

When they reached the shelf with the pregnancy tests both of them hesitated. Finally pushing themselves, they grabbed a few, along with a big bottle of water. The test stripes were easily hidden in a paper bag. The last thing they needed was nosy turtles thinking they've gone crazy and spreading rumors.

"Let's go to my house." It was the logical decision, since it was closer and everyone was over at the Hamato household.

The two subs split the bottle of water and only had to wait about ten minutes until they felt the need to relieve themselves. Kion went first with Mikey short after. Both of them peed on three stripes, leaving them in the bathtub of the upper bathroom and sitting on the carpet in front of it.

A kitchen timer was ticking away, and each second that brought them closer to the answer made them more nervous.

"What if they're positive?" Mikey mumbled.

"Then I guess we're having more babies."

"Do you think Telon will find out why it happened?"

Kion shrugged at that question, playing with the strings of the carpet.

"I've never heard of subs getting pregnant outside mating season. Could be a defect closing mechanism of the uterus or something..."

"But it would be a really _big_ coincidence if we both had it. At the same time." Mikey finished the thought and let out a deep sigh.

"I wonder what the guys would say."

"Bogen and Telon would both celebrate. Despite the weirdness of it all." Kion grumbled leaning his head back against the tub to look at the ceiling.

"I guess, yeah..."

"I think Leo, Donnie and Raph would be happy too."

Mikey shrugged. "I don't know, Kion. I have this stupid gut feeling that our dear mayor has something to do with it. And if _I_ got that feeling, my super suspicious and over-protective mates will worry their tails off."

"Do you really think Voron is responsible? I barely even heard of him, not even when we moved in."

"Neither did I," Mikey admitted, "But it would fit with what you told me back then. Well, I just don't like him. And blaming him is easy."

Kion chuckled, until a ringing sound made both of them jump.

Taking deep breaths to calm themselves, the two turtles turned around and got up to see the results.

"... Fuck."

**_xxxxx_**

"Damn Mikey, what's wrong with you?"

Said turtle blinked himself out of his daydream when Raph's hand waved in front of his face.

"What?"

Donnie reached over to grab his hand, one eyeridge raised in concern.

"You've been spacing out a lot since you came back from your shopping trip with Kion today."

"And you even forgot the eggs." Raph added, lifting Amy up to his lap when she tried to climb into it.

"Eh yeah. We weren't really shopping. We just went for a walk and talked."

"_Should we tell them? What am I thinking? Of course we have to tell them!" _

_Kion was gripping his own head and groaned as he let it fall forward against the tiled wall of the bathroom. _

"_I don't even know how to start explaining." Mikey was laying face-down on the carpet in front of the bathtub, trying to come over the shock at the sight of the green stripes._

"Talked about what? Kion seemed just as dazed. Bogen and Telon were really worried."

"Oh. Uh... it's kinda hard to explain."

Mikey didn't elaborate, not even at the pointed stares of all three of his mates. He rather concentrated on Ky as the little guy climbed up on the couch on his own and crawled straight onto his mother's lap. There was a proud expression on his little olive-colored face as he got comfortable.

It really wasn't so bad. He loved his babies. They were still so young.

"Do I have to pound the explanation out of you?" Raph asked, trying to suppress a laugh when he saw Nix wagging his finger at him with a typical Leo-frown.

"No hit-ting mommy!"

Donnie outright giggled and pulled their youngest son on his lap, cuddling him. "Aw, we would never hit mommy. Daddy was just joking." He explained, leaning back against Leo's plastron.

"Mommy sad?" Amy asked, tilting her head with a pout on her lips.

"No sweetie, I'm not sad." Mikey chuckled, rubbing a hand over her head. The mahagony-colored eyes of his daughter closed at the caress and she let out a few content purrs.

When Nix yawned, they decided to put them to bed. After bidding each of them goodnight, Mikey let out a yawn of his own.

"I think I'm gonna hit the hay too. It's been a long day."

Despite it being way too early for them to go to bed, his mates followed him.

"Sweetheart, come on, what's on your mind?" Donnie asked worriedly, his hand resting on his baby brother's freckled cheek.

"It's just something Kion and I talked about. I think I'm p-..." Mikey sighed, trying again, "I'm... p-probably over-thinking things again."

At the concerned stares directed at him he chuckled nervously.

"I _promise_ you it's nothing bad. I just have to figure this out on my own first."

That didn't really settle his mates' nerves, but their youngest brother sounded honest. He would tell them what was bothering him when he was ready.

As Mikey fell asleep, his last thought was that he hoped Kion had more courage than him.

**_xxxxx_**

As it turned out, he didn't. Two days later they met up again. There was no big party of Telon announcing the pregnancy.

"I couldn't tell them. I really wanted to, but... ugh."

"Yeah, me neither. Heck, I know they would be happy, but still I'm... I don't even know. Not scared... I just can't explain."

"Tell me about it. Doesn't help Telon is freaking me out. He keeps asking me how I was doing five times a day. One time he almost caught me vomiting."

"Shell yeah. You're lucky your mates aren't trained in stealth and all. They _know_ something's up and I pray every single time they won't hear me barf over the sound of the shower and my music."

"... Well... We have to tell them at some point. Telon has to make sure everything's okay and we have to start taking those vitamins." Kion sighed. "And hey, there's always the chance we're _not_ pregnant."

"Eh, I think the dozen pregnancy tests we took over the past few days are proof enough..." Hiding them had required all of Michelangelo's ninja skills, and he even had to sneak out at night to pee on another test stripe. Just to be sure.

Kion shrugged. "Maybe it's a side effect of the suppressants. The hormones and all."

"You think that's possible?"

"I'm grasping at straws here."

"Whatever. We use the weekend to tell them, and on Monday I'm coming over to have a check-up..." Mikey sighed.

"Fine... I'm going to wait till Sunday though. To think of the best way to break it to them."

**_xxxxx_**

Saturday afternoon Mikey found himself standing by the door to the living room. The happy squeals and laughter had drawn him from where he's been cleaning the kitchen.

Donnie was sitting in the playpen, leaning against the wall with Amy in his lap, reading a book to her. He had a proud smile on his face when she pointed at different figures on the pictures, sounding out their names and asking after every sentence what's what.

Raph was building a few towers with blocks for Nix, who highly enjoyed playing "monster", growling between laughs and throwing them over, clapping when he managed to "destroy" the whole city.

Ky was doing a baby workout with Leo. The toddler followed his fafa's every move eagerly, even if clumsily. Leo helped their firstborn with a few moves, laughing along with Ky when they both fell over.

A really warm feeling filled Mikey's chest at the sight of his mates spending quality time with their babies. They were such good parents. Absentmindedly one of Mikey's hands rubbed over his flat stomach with a soft smile on his face.

"Tummy ow-ow a-gen?" Nix' voice jerked Mikey out of his thoughts.

"Again? What is he talking about?" Raph asked with a frown. Leo and Donnie looked over too from their respective positions. Was Mikey sick? Was a stomach ache the reason for his strange behavior?

Mikey knelt down to hug his youngest and nuzzled his face. "No sweetie, I'm fine." He assured Nix, tickling his chin. The tiny forest-green turtle giggled and wrapped his arms around his mother's neck.

"Michelangelo." Leo used his leader-voice. It was rarely in use these days, but sometimes he would go back to old habits.

The freckled turtle sighed and picked Nix up when he stood, carrying him over to the couch.

"Come sit with me." He said, gesturing for his mates to join him.

When the whole family sat on the couch together, Mikey placed Nix in Raph's lap and scooted back so he could watch all of them properly. _Come on, dude_, he encouraged himself, _nothing to be afraid of_.

"What's going on, sweetheart? Does your stomach hurt?"

"No, not really." Mikey took a deep breath. "Okay, I know it sounds weird, and technically it shouldn't even be possible. I'm not even 100% sure, Kion said it could-"

"Mikey." Leo cut off his babbling.

Mikey looked down to where his hands fiddled in his lap.

"Uh right. The thing is... there this teeny weeny little chance that I am... pregnant."

A few seconds ticked away in silence.

"That... uh. Hm." Donatello blinked, a dumbfounded expression on his face. "It's not mating season."

"I know, Donnie. That's why I said it shouldn't be possible."

Leo shook his head, his brain still trying to catch up. "_Why_ do you think you're pregnant?"

"There are a few symptoms... like, morning sickness, the exhaustion... and at least a dozen positive pregnancy tests. You know, the usual."

"Wait, you're serious? You're pregnant?" Raph asked, wanting to be sure before he'd allow himself to celebrate.

"I _think_ I am. Kion too, by the way. We just don't know _how_."

"What? Kion too?" Donatello shook his head. "Well, that rules out the possibility of an accidental secondary mutation..."

"Does it really matter? It is what it is, right?" Raph couldn't stop the grin that started to tug on the corners of his mouth.

Donnie chuckled. "Yeah... still I wonder how it's possible. I mean, the pregnancy tests are very accurate here. And the chance of twelve stripes being defect is really low."

"Maybe Telon can find out why." Leo supplied, smiling down at Ky in his lap.

"Papa." Amy demanded Donnie's attention.

"Yes, princess?"

"Wha's p... peg..." Donatello grinned.

"Pregnant?"

Amy nodded enthusiastically and watched Mikey with wide worried eyes. "Mommy sick?"

"No, sweetie." Don giggled at Amy's confused expression. Raph scooted closer to Mikey with a grin and put an arm around his shoulders while Nix climbed into his mother's lap.

"Mommy's pregnant," Raph explained, "That means you're going to have a new brother or sister soon." His grin never faltered as he nuzzled his youngest mate's face.

"Or both." Donnie suggested, also coming closer, along with Leo.

Ky's tongue was sticking out as he squeezed on Mikey's lap next to Nix. Amy was satisfied to pat her palm on her mother's knee.

Mikey frowned. "Don't you think we should wait till we're completely sure it's real? I don't want to give them false hopes..."

"B-ruh-da?"

"Yes. Nix and Ky are your brothers, and you are their sister. They're family. And _maybe_ you're going to have more brothers or sisters." Leo explained to their daughter.

The babies turned their heads, looking around the living room as far as they could see. "Whe'e?"

Raph laughed at the cute question, and Mikey found himself giggling too.

"Here." Mikey patted his stomach. Ky gasped cutely.

"Mommy eat n-ew buhder an' sissah?" He asked in shock, resting his little hands on Mikey's plastron.

Leo would deny it, but that was definitely a squeal coming from him.

"No. They are very tiny and weak right now. They have to grow bigger and stronger in Mommy's tummy, and when they are ready they come out. You three were inside there too." Donnie explained as simple as he could, an amused smile on his face.

"We be bi-g family? Li-ke Eno?" Eno was a cute little kid's show their toddlers loved, about a little turtle named Eno with eleven siblings and four parental figures.

"Not as big as Eno's." Mikey answered quickly, eyes wide. He couldn't even imagine having twelve babies.

"Yet." Raph joked in a low voice, earning an elbow to his side.

"Not as big as Eno's, but yes. We're a big family." Mikey reached over to rub a hand over Amy's head. "Would you like to have a little brother or sister?"

The answer was a few shrugs and "Dunno"'s. They probably didn't really understand it completely yet, anyways. They were more interested in going back to playing then, with Ky and Nix building with the blocks while Amy sat next to them, telling them a made-up story while looking into a picture book.

"We're gonna go over to Telon and have him check you out first thing tomorrow." Leo picked up their conversation again. He wanted to make sure they were having more babies, and that everything was okay with their mate.

"No, I told Kion I'd come over for a check-up on Monday. We agreed to tell you guys this weekend."

"... Are you telling us you knew this for almost a week now and you only told us _now_?"

Mikey blushed and averted his gaze, but nodded.

"Look, I know you like the idea of more babies. I wasn't a hundred percent sure, and I guess I partly didn't want to get your hopes up for nothing."

Donnie gently tilted Mikey's head up so he could look at him.

"And the other part?"

Mikey sighed. "I don't know..."

Raph's grip on his shoulder tightened, and Leo reached over take Mikey's hands.

"Listen," the oldest spoke up, "We talked about this. We said we would wait until we're ready... but maybe this is fate's way of telling us we _are_ ready."

"You think? I mean..." Mikey freed one of his hands of Leo's grip and put it on his stomach. "I guess I don't mind having more. The triplets are fine, we're doing a good job with them. It's just this stupid feeling that something's not right..."

"With the baby?"

"No, not really. I can't really explain, guys."

"Whatever it is, we won't let anyone or anything harm you or any of our children." Raph promised with determination, hugging Mikey close and resting one of his hands on the flat stomach.

From left and right Leo and Donnie joined the hug, tightening their hold.

**_xxxxx_**

"Fascinating..." Telon had yet to stop grinning. According to Kion he'd been grinning ever since he told his mates about the pregnancy, and it was freaking him out.

The medic cleared his throat when he realized he's been spacing off. There was still this tiny piece of regret and shame in him, but the happiness overshadowed it.

"The blood test confirmed it, you're definitely pregnant too."

Mikey gave a weak smile. Well, he's been expecting that outcome. Especially when Kion told him about his official results as soon as he opened the door.

"Eh, alright..."

Donnie had taken the day off to be there, and since he, Leo and Raph refused to leave Mikey's side for the examination, Bogen and Kion were playing with the toddlers and Elia in the girl's own playroom.

"Do you have any idea how it's possible?" Donatello asked his friend, smiling as he squeezed Mike's shoulder.

"Oh, I've been going over a few scenarios actually." Telon quickly said, hoping to appear normal. It wasn't a direct lie. He's been thinking over a dozen different answers to give.

"I was able to rule out most of them. My best explanation is that their bodies adapted. A reaction to the suppressants is my guess."

Leo and Raph seemed satisfied with that answer. Donatello on the other hand frowned slightly. For having heard the news only a day before, Telon was pretty far with his explanation. And so sure. It could be written off as excitement over his own mate's pregnancy, but still...

"Whatever the reason, we're going to have more babies. That's a reason to celebrate!" Raph's grin split his whole face. He couldn't wait to have another child.

"Exactly! We could go to that great new restaurant by the flower shop!"

While his mates and Telon made plans for celebration, Mikey rolled his eyes and got off the bed in the medic's home office. Donnie followed him when he went to find their kids.

"Surprise surprise, I'm also carrying." Mikey announced with a chuckle as he settled on the carpet next to Kion and Bogen. Donnie pulled him against his side by his shoulders and waist.

"Congrats." Kion let out a small huff of laughter. Now that they had real definite proof and their mates knew, they were relieved.

"You know what's weird?" Bogen said as he frowned at thin air. "Telon barely checked you over, just took your blood. And still he seemed pretty sure you were about four weeks in."

Kion nodded while Donnie and Mikey mimicked Bogen's frown.

"When I said I wanted to talk to them, he was ecstatic before I even got to the point. He didn't seem all that surprised, now that I think about it."

Something in Donatello's stomach felt heavy all of a sudden. That, combined with his own suspicion couldn't mean good news. "His explanation was kind of... I don't know. It felt staged."

Mikey bit his lip, his mind connecting the lines.

"... Do you think he has something to do with it?" He asked the three other adults.

Bogen shrugged. "I wouldn't know how. Sure, he's pretty smart... but I'm not sure he could find a way to change nature. And why would he do it to Mikey too?"

"Okay, Telon's been wanting another child pretty badly, but he wouldn't go as far as doing this to us." Kion defended his mate. "He didn't give us anything, there's no way he _poisoned_ us or something. He would never do this."

Mikey's gaze found their playing children as he thought. He twisted his fingers uneasily.

"... Unless there's someone else pulling the strings..."

Three pairs of eyes turned to look at him. Kion sighed, a hand rubbing over his stomach.

"Do you really think our mayor has nothing better to do than bribing my mate to make us pregnant? And Telon wouldn't let himself be bribed with anything."

"... I don't know, babe." Bogen sat up straighter, a hand on his chin in thought. "I found it really strange that Voron gave him the promotion after turning him down so many times. The old platinum level doctor is still here, there's been no need for another one yet."

"Well, maybe Voron finally realized what a great medic our mate is." Kion kept defending, though he's been having the same thoughts.

"We're not saying he's not." Donnie pacified. "We're just going over possibilities. And now that I think about it he's been hanging around my desk at work way more often than usual. And kept asking how my family was doing."

Kion leaned against Bogen with a frown. "Telon's been just as insistent the past week..." he said thoughtfully.

"But even if they worked together," Bogen sighed, "There's still no logical explanation to _how_ they did it."

"Maybe we should just ask him? You're his mates, and we're his friends. He would admit it if we confronted him, right?" Mikey finally said.

"If he's really poisoned us or something behind our backs I'm not so sure." Kion's frown deepened. "I swear, if I find out he did this to us for a stupid promotion I'm gonna rip his dick off and shove it up his ass so far he can chew on it."

The thought that the doctor would really do something like this to his own mate was so unrealistic, even if he begged for another child daily. And to betray his best friends, and lie to all of them...

"We're only assuming here. There's no reason to jump to conclusions." Donatello rubbed Mike's shoulder. "When I see Voron tomorrow at work I'm gonna tell him the news. His reaction will give him away if he's somehow involved in this."

"Alright. And if you find out he's behind this, we're gonna corner Telon."

"... And what if he's not? What if Telon's right with his theory about it being our bodies' reaction to the suppressants?" Mikey asked.

Bogen shrugged. "Then Kion and I will find a way to subtly make it up to him."


	12. Chapter 12

Donatello waited.

The last week Mayor Voron had been visiting him at his work station every day. The morning passed without him showing up. Just when Donnie was about to take his lunch break, he saw Leo coming up to his desk.

"Hey, what are you doing here?"

Leo had a thoughtful expression on his face as he came to a stop by his mate's desk, arms crossed. Donnie raised an eyeridge at the stare and lack of greeting.

"Voron called an emergency meeting. Nothing too serious..."

"Okay...?"

"He asked me how we all were doing and I told him about Mikey's pregnancy."

Donnie blinked, inwardly cursing. Since Raph and Leo had been so happy yesterday, Mikey and Donnie kept their suspicions to themselves for now.

"And?"

"He was really happy for us..." Leo sighed. "... He just didn't seem... too surprised."

That made Donatello's eyes widen. _He didn't seem surprised_. That was precious information... Don looked up when Leo continued talking.

"I kind of sneaked after him when he had to make an important call. He was telling the person that 'it' worked..."

"It? Was he talking about the pregnancy?" Donnie got up from his chair.

"I guess." His midnight blue gaze was fixated on his younger mate. "He mentioned you, too. He said it was '_all thanks to Donatello_'. Care to explain?"

Donnie's jaw fell in surprise. "What?! Why would he say that?!"

Leo seemed a little taken aback by Don's outburst.

"So you have nothing to do with it?"

"Shell Leo, are you nuts?! I wouldn't do that to Mikey!" Don snapped, letting himself fall back on his chair. He couldn't believe Leo would think that about him.

The forest-green turtle sighed in relief and walked around the desk to rest his hands on Don's shoulders.

"Okay, sorry. It's just... why would he say that?"

Donnie shrugged, still a little peeved. "Could be he was talking about something else." His mahagony eyes narrowed as he looked up at Leo.

"Wait, the call was completely out of context. Why did you automatically think it was about the pregnancy?"

Leo bit his lip. "Like I said, I found it suspicious how he wasn't as surprised as I'd expected... And I guess I'm not a hundred percent sure that we can trust him."

"Mikey, Kion, Bogen and I were talking about it yesterday." Don said. "And to be honest, we think Telon acts kind of weird."

"I noticed it too." Typical hawk-eye Leo. "I thought that was just his excitement, though..."

"Even Bogen thought it was strange that he got the promotion, Leo. And that only about a month before we found out about the pregnancy."

"You think Voron bribed Telon?"

Donnie nodded with a serious expression.

"To be honest, yes. And even though it's not necessarily something bad..."

"It feels like betrayal." Leo finished for him, getting another nod from the olive turtle.

"I don't want to jump into conclusions until we have proof, though..."

Leo leaned down to nuzzle Don's face. "Then let's find out what's behind this. Maybe our suspicions are wrong and Telon has nothing to do with it."

"Well, we can't just ask Voron if he drugged our mate and his best friend, can we?"

They could try, but the chance of a truthful answer was very very slim. And none of them wanted to aggravate the mayor enough to be thrown out of the city with three babies and a pregnant Mikey.

"You think a drug made it possible?"

"It's most logical."

"Didn't you say there's a special lab? Since it never happened before that subs got pregnant outside of mating season, it's got to be a new drug."

"Oh right..." Don glanced at the clock and grinned up at Leo. "Are you in the mood for a little ninja mission?"

**_xxxxx_**

"I honestly don't know what to think." Raph stared blankly at the fish tank in their living room.

The kids were already in bed, and Donnie was going over the pictures he had taken in the special lab. There's been a file that seemed very important and the last document was about a test on a prisoner.

"I thought you'd go berserk on Voron. I even brought some rope to restrain you." Leo said, only half joking. The thought of the mayor invading their life to that extent was not sitting well with him at all.

"Believe me, I'm thinking about it. But..." Raph shrugged, not sure how to express himself.

"... He didn't do something horribly bad. Don't get me wrong, I hate that he meddles with our life like that. But because of him we're going to have more children." He wrapped his arm around a quiet Mikey's shoulders and pulled him closer. "And I can't be mad about that."

Mikey shrugged, relaxing against his mate. "I just don't get why he'd do that. A few single babies more won't change the population much. What does he gain from it?"

"Oh shell..." Donnie laid his shellcell on the coffee table he was sitting in front of and buried his face in his hands.

"What is it?" Leo asked, coming over from where he's been leaning against the back of the couch.

"The components... I'm such an idiot." Donnie grabbed the phone again, biting his lip as he zoomed in on a few lines.

"Remember when I helped Voron with something back then? He asked me if I could find a way to mix two substances together. He said it was for a drug that would help subs and females regulate their hormones after taking suppressants. To make it easier for them."

His mates stared at him.

"He lied. I recognize these two substances. The prisoner the drug was tested on was a sub... the effect was that his uterus opened up for twelve hours. That's why Voron mentioned me on the phone... I helped creating the drug that made the pregnancies possible..." Donnie's shoulders hung as he sighed miserably.

"Babe, you didn't know what it was for... It's not your fault."

Donatello paled a little as he thought about what else he read. "One of the substances I didn't know, Voron said it was a plant from his garden. Here it says it's called nightflower. A higher dose of it would've led to death."

Three pairs of eyes widened. "Are you saying it really is a poison?!" Raph leaned forward, a familiar rage starting to build up in his gut.

"In a higher dose, yes. The amount used in the drug is too little to do damage." Don calmed everyone, including himself, after another look at the picture of the file.

"At least now we have proof Voron is responsible for this." Leo stated.

"But how did he poison us? Kion and I haven't seen him in ages, and if the drug only lasts twelve hours..."

"He would have done it about four weeks ago. To both you and Kion."

Donnie wrecked his brain to remember the time of four weeks ago. He and Leo were the only ones to see Voron more frequently. Both Mikey and Raph haven't had any contact with the mayor for over two months. And Telon...

"Oh my god..." Donnie blinked as he remembered.

"What? What is it?!"

"Back when they told us about Telon's promotion! The grape juice!" Donnie slammed his phone down on the table and stood, eyes blazing with building rage. "I knew he was being weird when he refused to let me drink from Mikey's glass! That little..."

Donnie growled lowly and stomped towards the door. "I'm gonna kill him!"

Leo's eyes were wide as he held his usually calm mate back. "Woah, calm down honey. Killing him won't get us anywhere."

"How could he betray us like that?! If the amount of nightflower was higher he could've _killed_ Mikey and Kion!"

Raph also got up from the couch, fists clenched as he approached Donnie and Leo. "I'm on Don's side here, Fearless. Friend or not, he endangered our mate's life for his own selfish reasons and he's gonna pay!"

"Raph, calm down. Dammit Donnie! Chill!" Leo tried to keep both angry turtles in check. "Believe me, I'm just as mad as you are, but we can't just barge in there and beat him up! We're trained ninjas, he has no way of defending himself." Leonardo reasoned.

His own gaze was dark with rage and disappointment at the betrayal. It was by far not nearly as grave as April's betrayal, still it hurt. Telon's been a close friend, like April had been. Again their trust was broken.

Donnie growled and crossed his arms in front of his chest, a glare on his face.

"Fine, then what do you suggest we do? I'm not gonna let him off the hook, Leo!"

"Guys, keep it down." Mikey finally spoke up, coming to stand by his mates. "You're gonna wake the kids." He inwardly cringed at how much he sounded like a mom.

The reminder that they indeed had three children sleeping above brought their senses back. They weren't in their own universe anymore. They weren't talking about attacking The Shredder or anything.

"You barely said anything, sweetheart... Aren't you mad?" Donnie asked, biting the inside of his cheek as he rested a hand on the sea-green shoulder. He was relieved when Mike's hand came up to cover his.

"I'm definitely not mad at you, Donnie. You didn't know what your work would do."

"You had your gut feeling about Voron, and as _always_ it turned out to be right. I should've second-guessed when he gave his flimsy explanation about the drug."

"To be fair, he appeared... he still appears to be really nice and honest. Even if his intentions are a little shady." Mikey smiled weakly. "Anyways, I'm also not mad at Telon."

Raph frowned as he worked his jaw. "He could've killed you."

"I don't think he would have given the drug to me and Kion if he knew it was that dangerous."

At the unhappy expressions of his mates Mikey shook his head.

"I'm not trying to defend him or anything. I feel just as betrayed as you do. Still I don't think confronting him in that way would do any good."

"Mikey's right." Leo agreed, rubbing a hand over his own head as he thought his next words over.

"We all can figure out his reasons for doing it. He desperately wanted another baby, and he's dreamed of the promotion for ages. Knowing this, Voron saw him as perfect pawn in whatever plan he has."

"Nothing would make me endanger my own mate." Raph grumbled, earning a nod from Donnie.

"You keep forgetting that they grew up different from us." Leo sighed. "We always were pretty close because we were the only humanoid turtles in existence. We only had each other until we came here."

Mikey nodded in agreement, catching on. "And these turtles grew up like humans back in our dimension. Like our children are going to be growing up. They have different morals, just remember dad's horrible soap operas."

"Still it isn't a good enough excuse!"

"It doesn't have to be. Telon betrayed us and I honestly don't want him near our family again." Leo clarified. "But your rage is directed at the wrong target. Voron is the enemy."

"So we let Telon off the hook? We just ignore him?" Raphael asked in disbelief.

Donnie shook his head. "No, not so easily. We have to tell Kion and Bogen. They're his mates, they'll handle this the way they see fit. It's them he betrayed most."

The genius' shoulder slumped slightly, anger fading. He felt like he lost his best friend. He probably did. "And I agree with Leo. I don't want to see him here anymore."

"Fine." Raph agreed, pacified by the solution. "Then we concentrate on Voron. I sure as shell don't know what's going on in this manipulative brain of his, but I'm gonna teach him the hard way that no one messes with my family."

Michelangelo sighed. He hated it when his gut feelings turned out right. Still...

"Please don't." He spoke up in a defeated voice.

"What?! Why not?" Mikey's hand automatically went to his stomach as he shrugged uneasily.

"I'm just so tired of fighting..." Raph's and Leo's stern gazes softened at that.

"Oh baby..." The comforting touches were soothing the youngest's troubled mind.

"We finally found a place where we belong, to raise our own family. I don't want to lose this and go back to... to having nothing. I don't want our babies to grow up like that. They deserve a normal life. _We_ deserve a normal life."

"Sweetheart, we won't lose what we have." Donnie soothed, hugging Mikey close.

"Voron is powerful here. When he throws us out we don't have anywhere to go."

Raph pressed a kiss to Mikey's head as he and Leo wrapped their arms around both of their younger brothers. "Are you suggesting we should just let him get away?"

"We don't even know what his ultimate goal is." Mikey mumbled, eyes closed. "And so far nothing bad happened. I doubt he'd try to kill us, he just wanted to make us pregnant. It's okay, we can handle that."

"It's not okay that he did it without our consent." Leo said in a low voice.

"I know. But unless he starts seriously harming us – and most importantly our babies – I don't want to provoke anything. Please... let's just live in peace."

While Donnie concentrated on cuddling Mikey close, Leo and Raph exchanged a long look.

"Alright. But if Voron pulls another stunt against our family I'm gonna beat him to a pulp."

"Deal."

**_xxxxx_**

"Ugh... oh shell..." Mikey groaned as he rested his forehead on the toilet seat.

He couldn't remember throwing up that much in his last pregnancy.

Three weeks had passed since they found out about Telon's betrayal. They had told Bogen and Kion the next day while their mate was at work, along with the warning that the doctor wasn't welcome at their house anymore. It hurt, especially Donnie, but they couldn't just forgive that easily.

The two native turtles were not happy about what their mate had done, and they understood it was a rocky road ahead of Telon if he ever wanted to gain their trust back.

Kion had come over a few times with Elia to visit Mikey, and told them Telon had immediately broken down and admitted to what he did. Their suspicions of his reasons were confirmed, that didn't lessen the sting of the betrayal.

So far things were going normal. Voron acted as if nothing happened when Leo and Don saw him at work, and they pretended the same, though it was a great effort for both of them.

"Again...?" Raph asked sleepily from the doorway.

Mikey spat generously into the bowl before flushing it and getting up to rinse his mouth. "Yeah..." He sighed afterwards, looking at his reflection in the mirror.

Raph came up behind him to wrap his arms around his middle, resting his hands on Mikey's stomach. His green gaze found Mike's blue one in the mirror as he lowered his head to press a kiss on his mate's shoulder.

"You threw up at least twice a day the past weeks... maybe we should call that other doctor."

"It's fine, Raphie... It should get better within the next week."

Raphael didn't dare say it out loud, but he was scared for the safety of Mikey and their unborn babies. Maybe the drug had poisonous side effects they didn't know off.

His grip on Mikey tightened.

"At least let Donnie examine your blood. He's gonna see if something's the matter, right?"

"Yup." The unexpected voice had them both look to the door, where Donnie and Leo were standing. Amy was clinging to Donnie, one of her little fists rubbing her eye as she yawned.

Mikey smiled at the sight of his daughter and walked over to cuddle her. "What are you doing awake, my little princess?"

Amy snuggled into the warm embrace and smiled cutely. "Wanna snuggie wit mommy!"

"Aw, yeah, let's go snuggle." Mikey chuckled. Lately their children were quite clingy to all of them, staying close to their parents, wake up early to snuggle in their bed with them, and so on.

As they left the bathroom they heard babbling from Nix' room, as it was closest. Exchanging amused glances, Donnie and Raph went to collect the rest of their family, while Leo steered Mikey with Amy to the bedroom.

Mikey felt his eyes droop as soon as he got comfortable under the blankets. The exhaustion was worse than last time too. It came in waves and it worried him a little. A few days ago he almost fell down the stairs with Ky in his arms, and if Raph hadn't caught them, who knows what would've happened?

He would let Donnie examine his blood to be sure nothing was wrong. And if it wouldn't get better until next week, the start of the third month, he'd go to that other doctor.

Kion felt the same symptoms as he had stated two weeks ago, it just had to do something with the drug.

**_xxxxx_**

"Daddy, s'at?" Nix pointed at a print in the picture book he and his siblings were huddled around.

Raph put the weight he's been using away and knelt down next to his children to look at the picture. A smile lifted the corners of his mouth.

"That's a beach. And the ocean."

"O... Ocean?"

"Yes, very well princess. It's water. Like a really really big bathtub. Just a little colder and without the bubbles."

"Oh!" The faces of the toddlers lit up. "We go?" Nix asked.

Raphael blinked. He wasn't sure if there was a beach close by. There had to be a beach _somewhere_ in this dimension, since it was in a picture book, but a days-long travel was out of question.

"I don't know where it is, ace. I'm gonna ask your papa and fafa if they know."

"Mommy ba-ck sssoon?" Ky asked, bottom lip sticking out. Amy and Nix looked up at Raph too with similar expressions.

From the day they were born, they've never been apart from their mother for very long. The maximal amount of time had been the five hours when he and Kion went out with Bogen.

Every time he left the house without them for more than an hour they would get anxious. Especially in the past two weeks, when they grew so very clingy.

It was as if they felt the tension, the hurt, the fear from their parents and that was their reaction to it.

Raph glanced at the sun-shaped clock hanging in the kids' playroom. Since their toddlers wouldn't leave their daddy's side, Raph had taken his handweights to their room to exercise there while they could play.

"They should be back very soon... don't worry."

Leo had taken Mikey to see the doctor for a check-up. The morning sickness had faded some days ago, and the exhaustion wasn't as bad anymore as long as he took a nap in the afternoon.

They didn't really trust the platinum level doctor since there was the suspicion that he was under Voron's direct control, but they didn't have much of a choice. They _could_ go find another medic in the normal part of the city. And they still couldn't be sure Voron would follow them and bribe the next doctor.

The toddlers abandoned their book and surrounded Raph instead, cuddling up to their dad. The adult smiled softly and comforted them best he could.

Maybe they could really take a vacation somewhere. Just get away from their current situation and relax.

"There you are." At Leo's voice from the door Raph and the kids looked up.

"Fafa!" Amy used Raph to get to a standing position and then walked over to Leo, her brothers in tow.

Raph smiled and got up, greeting Leo with a kiss to his temple.

"And?"

"Everything's fine." Leo smiled back, rubbing a hand over each of his children's heads.

"Donnie met us at the doc's office, he said he was sick of his desk and wanted to hear what the doctor had to say."

Raph chuckled. Donatello has become quite rebellious lately. He left work really early every day, sometimes he only was there for two hours before he went home again. When Voron had asked him why, Don's had a hard time holding back a snarky response and instead just gave the sweet-voiced excuse that he wanted to spend time with his family now that they were expecting more babies. Voron appeared to be quite understanding.

"So it's alright? The drug didn't... you know..." They couldn't exactly ask the doc about it, since officially they didn't know about it.

"Donnie said the only side effect seems to be a hormone overload. That's why the morning sickness has been worse than last time. So far everything seems to be okay."

Leo's smile widened at Raph's relieved expression and he picked up Amy and Nix before placing them in his immediate younger brother's arms. Then he took Ky and leaned forward to nuzzle his mate's face.

"Come upstairs, we found out something else today."

Whatever it was, it had put Leo in a good mood. So Raph grinned and followed his mate up the stairs.

"Fafa, we go to o... o..." Ky frowned when he couldn't get the word out and looked to his smart sister for help.

"Ocean." Amy said, proud of herself. Ky nodded eagerly and faced Leo again.

"Yes. We go der?"

"To the ocean?" Leo sent Raph a questioning look over his shoulder.

"They saw a beach in their picture book."

Leo nodded in understanding as he waited for Raph to pass him before securing the gate on top of the stairs.

"Mh. In one of the meetings we were talking about the fishing business... I think there was a coast on the far west side of the city. You know, where the hills are."

"So close?" Raph blinked as he made his way to the kitchen, from where he heard their mates talk.

"It's about an hour to walk... I wouldn't define that as close."

"What's an hour away?" Donnie asked from where he was standing at the kitchen island, hands around a cup of coffee. Mikey was sitting on a stool next to him, holding a piece of paper in his hands.

"The beach. Our children want to see the ocean." Raph explained, biting back a curse when the toddlers started wiggling in his arms at the sight of papa and mommy. As soon as their feet touched the ground they tackled them.

"... A little vacation sounds pretty good actually. We could camp there a night, spend two days in peace." Donnie said as knelt to endure the affectionate nuzzles and wet kisses to his face.

Since Mikey was on the stool still, Nix could only reach his feet and shins. He jumped.

"Up! Up!"

Leo chuckled as he lifted their youngest so Mikey wouldn't have to bend and risk toppling over with the stool.

"Did you miss me, angelcakes?" Mikey asked with a wide grin, hugging Nix close and kissing his head.

"Mhm." Nix settled on his mother's lap comfortably, reaching for the paper. "S'at?"

Mikey's face softened and he looked up to Raph as he answered. "It's a picture of my tummy."

Raph's eyes widened, his mouth tugging to a smile as he stepped closer. Mikey put the picture on the island, letting Raphael take a look himself.

Nix shakily stood up on Mikey's knees and Amy and Ky let themselves be lifted on the island to look at it too.

"But mommy..." Amy tilted her head with a scrunched up face. "Diss don-t look like tummy..."

"It's the inside of it. See that circle?" He traced the faint line of an egg, with a grainy figure in it. "That's an egg, and what's inside it."

"Can you count them? How many eggs are there?" Donnie asked, enjoying how the little faces scrunched more in concentration.

"Tuh-woo!" Nix said, happy that he was faster than his sister for once. Amy didn't mind, just nodded in agreement.

"Very good. And do you see that figure inside?" Leo pointed at the grainy white figure, smiling at Raph's expression of pure glee. "That's your brothers or sisters."

The alpha turtle used his hand to rub over his eyes to get rid of the happy tears. Twins. They were going to have two more babies. He kissed the top of Mikey's head and squeezed Leo's shoulder.

"Dey in-side egg?" Ky asked curiously, head also tilting as he tried to recognize something. "No look like turle..."

Donatello giggled, leaning against Mike's other side as he kept an arm out so none of the kids on the island would fall accidentally.

"Not yet, sweetie. That's gonna take a while."

"Is bruh-da or sis-da?" Nix asked, leaning his head back to look at Mikey upside down.

"We don't know yet."

"I wanna sis-da. Smat like Amy!" Ky exclaimed, nuzzling his face into Amy's shoulder. The girl giggled and hugged Ky.

"Bruhda is otay too! Funny like Ky an' Nis!" Amy said cutely. Nix tried to climb on the island too to join the group hug. Mikey helped him along and leaned into his mate's embrace with a watery smile at the sight.

There had been signs of sibling rivalry between them sometimes, but mostly they got along very well. Like now.

"Can you imagine we made this?" Donnie whispered as they all watched their children cuddle.

"It's like a dream I never want to wake up from." Leo had a soft smile on his face as he rested his chin on his hand.

"They're little wonders." Mikey sniffed and wiped at his eyes, cursing his hormones. He giggled when he was squished between his mates.

"We have two more wonders on the way." Raph mumbled, squeezing Mikey as tight as he dared.

"God, I love you so much." He admitted, feeling his heart about to burst with how much he loved his family.

Their toddler squealed in surprised and joy when Don's and Leo's arms pulled the threesome closer so they were included in the family hug.


	13. Chapter 13

"We der sssoon?" Nix asked, sitting between his basking siblings in a coaster wagon, pulled by Raphael.

Their beverages for the two days were inside the cart too, along with a few blankets to make it comfortable for the toddlers. Leo was carrying their food and baby bag, and Donnie their new big tent.

Mikey had offered to carry something light too, but his mates wouldn't allow it.

"As soon as we get over that hill." Donnie promised, his hands on the wagon as he pushed it along to help Raph up the hill.

Nix clapped in excitement.

"You need a break?" Leo asked Mikey, who hung back a little. The sea-green turtle was out of breath, hoping they'd reach the top soon.

"Nah." He panted. "We're almost there."

"Don't push yourself too hard." Leo reprimanded with a worried frown.

Mikey stopped walking and put a hand on his slightly swollen stomach. It was just a tiny swell, compared to his last pregnancy's third month. One egg less really made a difference.

"Fine. Five minutes." Mikey gave in and knelt on the grassy hill, trying to catch his breath.

Leo smiled a little and settled down next to him, rubbing his shoulder and neck.

"Everything okay?" Donnie asked over his shoulder.

"We're just taking a small break, go ahead, we meet you at the top of the hill." Mikey waved them off.

"Mommy?" Nix frowned anxiously, reaching for his mother.

"I'm okay, angelcakes, my legs are just a little tired."

"Mommy sit wit me!"

Mikey couldn't help but laugh. "Sweetie, I can't. Daddy is strong, but not _that_ strong."

"Now wait a second." Raph glared playfully. "Are you doubting my strength?"

"Never." Mikey chuckled, finally finding his breath again. Nix just frowned.

"Fafa an' papa can help."

Standing up again with Leo, Mikey shook his head. "Nah, I'm better already. Let's get to the beach."

Donnie looked down to the cart, where Amy and Ky were starting to wake up from their nap. They sat up and rubbed their eyes sleepily. He and Raph exchanged a look and a shrug.

Leo watched their exchange, understanding when they looked at him and nodded to the cart.

Mikey's eyes narrowed, and suddenly he was swept of his feet and found himself in Leo's arms.

"Leonardo, put me down! Now!" The leader was unfazed by his struggle and calmly made his way over to the wagon, where Donnie picked up a groggy Ky and Amy, creating space for Mikey to sit.

Nix covered his mouth with both hands as he giggled at the display, squealing with joy when his mommy was placed in the cart with him. Before the freckled turtle could escape, Donnie placed their other two toddlers in his lap.

The two were still a little dazed from their basking and snuggled sleepily into the familiar warmth of their mother.

"I can walk just fine..." Mikey grumbled, but stayed still as he cuddled his babies close, a smile tugging on his lips when Nix climbed over his siblings to squeeze close too.

"We know." Leo stated with a smile as he gripped the edge of the wagon next to Donnie.

"Nix, hold onto mommy and your siblings so they don't fall out." Donnie instructed with a playful smile. "We're going real fast now."

Nix gasped and practically choked Amy and Ky with how tightly he was squeezing them, his face directed forwards to Raph as his daddy got ready to bolt with a tight grip on the handle.

"Oh no, you won't!" Mikey exclaimed, but wrapped his arms around his babies with wide eyes as his mates only chuckled.

He's never been a careful turtle. Never ever in his life. And he wouldn't care either if he was alone in the cart, and _not_ pregnant. He was really turning into Leo. The same Leo that was helping push the wagon as they broke into a run up the hill.

The eyes of Nix were wide as he felt the wind whip by and he couldn't help but let out a joyful laugh. "Yaaay!"

Realizing something exciting was happening, Ky and Amy struggled to sit up in the tight hold of their brother and mother. Amy let out a yelp and pressed her hands over her eyes, while Ky joined Nix' laughter.

Mikey found himself giggling too at the carefree excitement. What was he worried about? His mates wouldn't let anything happen to them.

At the top of the hill they came to a stop. The scenery was just a thing of beauty.

The other side of the hill wasn't as steep. The grass tapered off and mixed with the sand further down, until there was only sand and finally the ocean.

Since they left right after breakfast, it wasn't even noon yet, but the sun was already shining merrily, reflecting on the mesmerizing blue surface of the sea.

"Wow."

That pretty much summed it up. The beach seemed untouched, which none of the turtles understood. In a very far distance they could see a small harbor for the fishing boats, that was it. They had the white sand all to themselves.

Since the hill wasn't so steep, and the sand would slow them down at the end, they thought it was safe to have a little fun themselves. Donnie and Leo balanced on the edge of the wagon as if riding a skateboard, while Raph sat down on top of their stuff, holding the handle of the cart.

Leo and Donnie both pushed off the grass, sending the wagon forward and down the hill.

Laughter filled the fresh air as they rolled ahead, gaining speed. Mikey held tight onto his kids, squeezing his eyes shut as he laughed.

When the grass patched to sand the grew slower until they came to a complete stop.

A chorus of "A-gen! A-gen!" sounded from their toddlers as they clapped.

**_xxxxx_**

"Snow?"

"No sweetie, that's sand." Mikey sat in the sand and let a handful run through his fingers.

Ky and Nix were watching their other parents set up the tent and helped unload the wagon, dragging blankets back and forth on the grassy ground.

Amy blinked and let herself fall on her bare bottom in the sand, grabbing a handful to examine the new interesting stuff.

They had started potty training them and since they were going into the water too they let the toddlers run around without their diapers for now.

"Sand." She repeated, grinning when Mikey nodded. "Is warm."

"Yes, because the sun is shining on it."

"We go in water?" Amy still loved bath time, and daddy had said the ocean was like a big cool bathtub. By the looks of it, it was a huuuge bathtub.

"As soon as they're done with the tent, princess." Mikey had a soft smile on his face as he rubbed a hand over his daughter's head. She was so curious, so eager to discover new things. It reminded him so much of Donnie.

Amy turned her head to look at her family's progress, delighted to see the tent standing. Right now the adults were preparing sleeping bags and blankets inside to create a nest for later.

"Dent done?" The girl shouted, using Mike's shoulder for balance as she stood up and then clapped.

"Yes, honey, the tent is done." Donnie laughed as they came over to the sand.

"Ocean!" Amy squealed and eagerly toddled close to the water. Raph and Donnie jogged ahead to check out the temperature and make sure their eager daughter wouldn't be swept away by the waves.

Without fear Amy ran right into the waves towards her daddy and papa. The water was so nice! And the waves tickled her legs, making them tingle. She laughed in joy when Raph scooped her up and dragged her to deeper water.

While their sister was clearly enjoying herself, Nix watched the waves warily. His bottom lip stuck out as he frowned down at the wet sand. The others were having fun, so it couldn't be bad, right?

"It's not so bad, look." Mikey encouraged his youngest, standing ankle deep in the water and holding out his hand.

Nix hesitated only a second before ran to his mother, grabbing the outstretched hand. Slowly they went deeper, and Nix jumped every time a wave would crash against his legs, higher and higher.

"Mommy..." He whined, making Mikey chuckle and pick him up. Slowly, to get him used to the temperature and the waves Mikey went deeper.

Leo waited for Ky, an eyeridge raised in amusement. While the cool waves crashed against his own calves, Ky's feet were still dry. The cerulean eyes were wide as he watched the water come and go.

Whenever the waves went further away, he'd try to follow Leo, but when they came back he'd gasp and run back a few steps.

"It's just water, champ." Leo assured, kneeling down and splashing a little. "No bubbles."

Ky pouted at the water before looking at his siblings, who seemed to have much fun. Amy was squealing when Donnie splashed her and helped Raph splash back. Nix was clinging to Mikey, but smiling as his hand patted the surface.

He fixated on his fafa, who held his arms out to him. His fafa would never let something happen to him. So Ky slowly gathered all his courage and began walking towards him.

Leo smiled and grabbed his son when he was close enough, letting himself fall backwards into the water, making sure Ky stayed above the surface.

"See? It's not so bad." Ky tentatively patted the surface, smiling slowly. It wasn't as scary as he'd thought.

"S'wet!" He giggled.

"Yeah baby, it's wet." Leo chuckled as he made his way through the shallow water to where Mikey was with Nix.

The freckled turtle was lowering their younger son into the water, to his neck, and up again. Nix enjoyed the cool water, kicking his legs as he laughed.

Ky clung with both arms to Leo's neck, not daring to let go of him, but not fussing when Leo lowered himself so they were both wet to their shoulders.

"You don't like the ocean, sweetie?" Mikey asked Ky as he held Nix' hands above his head, letting him float in the water for a while.

The olive colored toddler shrugged, only daring to use one arm to move it a little through the water.

"S'big. Scawy."

"It's big, yeah, but here it's not deep. And as long as we're here with you nothing will happen to you." Leo assured and scooped some of the water to let it run over Ky's head.

There was a spluttering sound from the deeper water that got their attention.

Donnie had Amy in his arms, chuckling as their daughter rubbed her eyes.

"Ah-gen!" She squealed, taking a big gulp of air along with Donnie before they dove under again for a few seconds. Don swam a little closer to them and resurfaced. Amy spluttered again and giggled.

"Where's Raph?" Mikey asked when he couldn't see their mate anywhere. A yelp escaped him as his tail was pinched. He lifted Nix up to his plastron so he wouldn't slip from his grip just as Raph emerged from the water with a snicker.

"Not nice." Mikey stuck out his tongue, while Nix wagged his finger at his daddy with a stern expression. Even though he didn't know what he did.

Raphael noticed Ky clinging to Leo and held out his arms to him. "You wanna go for a swim with daddy?"

The cerulean eyes widened and he quickly shook his head, tightening his grip.

"I wanna!" Nix exclaimed, eagerly moving towards Raph, who grinned and swam to deeper water with him.

"I really can't understand why no one is here." Leo said, smiling as he watched Raph and Nix play.

"Kion was surprised when I told him we were going to the beach. I think they don't know the concept of going for a swim..."

"They're turtles..."

"One of the weirder things in this universe." Donnie said, holding onto Amy as she kept dunking her head. "The water has less salt than the seas in our dimension. There's different fishes in the deeper part, but all in all it's the same. And safe." He added the last part. He's made sure to check the safety of course.

"Papa!" Amy squealed when she resurfaced. "I wanna go to daddy and Niss!"

The genius chuckled. "Alright, off we go!"

Mikey smiled as he watched them swim off. Then he held his hands out to Ky. "Want to help me collect a few clams and sea shells from the beach?" He asked his eldest son.

"No water?" Mikey and Leo laughed.

"No water. We take a walk in the sand." That had Ky eagerly reach for Mikey.

"Want me to come with you?" Leo asked, kissing Mike's forehead.

"Nah, you gotta make sure Raph doesn't drown our children."

"Would you mind if I drown Raph?"

Mikey giggled and splashed Leo playfully.

**_xxxxx_**

"Ky come build cah-sle wit us!" Nix pulled on Ky's hand some time later. They had finished lunch, and after Raph and Donnie had went back into the water with Amy and Nix for a while they decided to build a sandcastle.

Leo got up when Mikey let out a yawn.

"Come on, let's take a nap." Mikey grabbed the offered hand and stood.

"You're gonna sleep with me?"

"I'm gonna read a little, but I'll stay with you, yeah."

Mikey smiled and let himself be led to the tent. One side was completely open, the breeze creating the perfect atmosphere for a nap

The freckled turtle snuggled to Leo, who rubbed his shoulder until he fell asleep.

"Pssst. Mommy!" Mikey rubbed his eyes before opening them to meet his children's shining faces some time later.

"What is it?" He smiled, sitting up. Leo was sitting by the open entrance, smiling.

"Come look at cah-sle!"

"Are you done already?" Mikey crawled out of the tent and stood. Amy and Nix pulled eagerly on both his hands while Ky ran ahead. At seeing the big sandcastle Mikey gasped exaggeratedly. "What a wonderful castle! Did you build it all by yourself?"

"Daddy an' Papa help!"

"That was really nice of them." Leo commented, grinning at the proud expressions of his mates.

"We also collected some rocks, for a campfire." Donatello said, gesturing to where they already built a pit, filled with pieces of wood.

"Where did you get the wood from?" Leo asked with a frown. He hasn't seen any laying around.

"Daddy says is a se..." Nix pouted when he couldn't remember the word. "Amy, wha'sit?"

"A sssecret." Amy slowly worked her mouth around the difficult word.

Leo raised an eyeridge as he looked at Raph, who grinned sheepishly and whistled innocently.

"Did we bring marshmallows?" Mikey asked, successfully diverting Leo's attention.

"I think I saw a bag in the backpack." He smiled at the wide grin of his youngest mate.

**_xxxxx_**

When the sun began to set, they started the fire and gathered around it. Again from seemingly out of nowhere Raph and Don brought a few wooden sticks to use for the marshmallows.

Ky was chewing on one raw marshmallow, watching his daddy with interest as he put one on a stick and held it over the fire.

"Why?" Amy asked from her place on Donnie's lap, helping her papa do the same as their daddy.

"We're making them all warm and gooey." Mikey said, grinning as he lifted his own stick, blowing on the marshmallow so it wouldn't be too hot. He took a bite himself before plucking some of it off to hold it in front of Nix' mouth.

The toddler eyed the substance warily. He knew and liked marshmallows,

sometimes mommy would put them in their hot chocolate. With a skeptical expression he opened his mouth.

"Mmm!" Nix' eyes were wide. "More!"

Seeing their pickiest brother enjoying the food, Amy and Ky were eager to try too.

They spent the time eating and telling stories. Raph leaned back on his arms when he was done watching his family as a gentle breeze from the sea made their campfire flicker slightly.

The mini vacation had been a great idea, just what they needed. A little time away from everything.

Donnie was laughing at something Nix said from where he was sitting on Mikey's lap, the hurt because of the betrayal momentarily forgotten. Raph could tell he missed his best friend, and even though the hothead could care less if that traitor would ever be back in their lives or not, he would tolerate him for the sake of Don's happiness. If Donnie would ever forgive him, that is.

The medic had tried to apologize just before their trip, and even though Mikey had already forgiven him for the sake of peace, Don was stubborn.

Raph had made it clear to Telon that he wouldn't forgive him, and that the trust was completely gone. However, if the rest of his family wanted to stay friends he would tolerate him. That was as good as Telon would get from him.

Leo was pretty much on the same page, though he was less obvious about it. The trust was gone forever. He would act civil towards Telon, also for the sake of peace, but he would keep a close eye on him. One wrong move and he'd be scratched from their lives. Not to mention he wouldn't let him close to their toddlers without supervision.

That betrayal happening had been a curse, Raph mused. Their leader had finally been happy, even carefree at times. They had thought to be safe here. And now that sense of safety was gone. His constant awareness was back, marring his face with worry lines that didn't belong there. It was even worse now that he didn't only have his mates to worry about, but their children too.

This vacation was finally easing some of that tension. The fun with their family was finally making him relax. Raph smiled at the happy face of Leo sitting next to him, helping Ky drink some juice.

His green gaze wandered to Mikey's baby bump. It was partly covered by Nix as he snuggled close to his mommy, but Raph knew what's beneath. More children. More family.

The freckled skin of his youngest mate seemed to glow, making him even more beautiful in his brother's eyes. Even though Telon's betrayal was also hard on him, his desire for a peaceful life was stronger. He's always had a knack for knowing when someone was a good person inside, and his intuition has mostly been right.

"Earth to Raph, someone there?" Raphael blinked at Leo, who smiled at him while their children giggled.

The hothead grinned and let himself fall back on the sand, motioning up to the sky.

"Nah, I'm up there. Just look at the stars."

The darkened sky was indeed filled with white glowing spots. The constellations were different, still it looked like back home.

The toddlers gasped at the sight, hurrying to lay on their carapaces too.

"So pwetty!" Nix exclaimed, reaching up as if he could grab them. Mikey smiled softly at how much that reminded him of when he was only a few months old and would reach for the plush stars above his bed.

"Far away?" Amy asked, twisting to look at her smart papa.

"Very far." He could launch into big explanations of rockets and whatnot, but this was a different universe. They didn't even have cars. There was no use confusing his children. "Look, this looks like a bunny!" He said instead, pointing at a set of stars.

Ky squealed in joy and the next half hour was used to find different shapes, until the toddlers quieted down as they fell asleep.

"Do you think we should tell them about... about dad?" Leo asked after a while, eyes fixated on the stars. He remembered their own first time looking at the stars, through the sewer grate while Splinter had searched for food.

"They have a right to know about their grandfather." Raph said with a frown.

"I know, but... you've seen how they think about different races here. I'm surprised they even allow the rabbit franchise here."

"It brings money, that's why." Donnie mumbled, heaving a sigh. "They accept the hotel you suggested too. We could wait until they're older... and understand that it's... different."

"They shouldn't have to care about that..." Mikey frowned.

"Why _is_ it even such a big deal?"

Leo sat up and used one of the sticks to poke the fire.

"All because of Voron. He said there was a group of rabbits attacking the turtles a few years ago. After some fights they agreed on a truce, but none of the races were too happy with each other. I'm not sure if it's the truth, to be honest."

"I see so many problems with Voron's regime." Donnie sat up too, prompting their mates to join them in the upright position.

"Yeah, there's gotta be new elections some time, right?" Raph licked his lips as an idea formed.

"Every five years. He's won three times in a row, despite the women and subs despising the pregnancy rule. There's just too many alphas and neutrals that don't really care, since the system works. No one really tried to compete anymore."

"So what if he had a worthy opponent?" Raph grinned.

"You want to become the new mayor?" Mikey asked, trying not too sound to skeptical.

"Heck no. But we have a natural born leader right here."

Leo's eyes widened. "You want me to compete against Voron?"

Donnie answered for Raph. "Why not? You worked long enough with him to know the most important procedures."

"And you'd be a way better mayor than him. Just think about the changes you could make."

With a thoughtful expression Leo watched the fire, playing with the idea. It was true. He knew what a mayor needed to do. And there's been at least twenty things already that Leo had seen and wanted to change.

He looked at his sleeping children and involuntarily smiled. Yes, why not? He could make changes. He could make this a better place for his children.

"The election is next May. We're gonna need a really good campaign."

"Revoking the pregnancy rule will get all the females and the few subs on your side anyways. So we just need something to draw the alphas and neutrals in." Donnie rubbed his chin in thought. The more he mulled it over, the more he liked the idea.

"All in all everything works just fine here. That's why Voron's been so popular. I'd probably mend with with rabbits, forming a trading business with them. That would create more jobs and we'd have more and different supplies."

"See, that's why you'd be perfect." Raph smirked, sipping from a bottle of water.

Mikey played with the sand, also smiling. "It's a really good idea. Less to worry about... a better future for our children."

"Nobody will care about different races anymore, and we can tell the kids about their grandfather without having to worry they'd be seen as outsiders by the native turtles." Leo voiced his vision, a genuine smile appearing on his face.

"We have almost a whole year until the election season starts. That's more than enough time to figure something out. The perfect opening speech to draw everyone in."

It was quiet for a while as each of them was lost in their own thoughts of the future and past.

When another chillier breeze washed over them, they decided to turn in for the night, gathering their toddlers and cuddling up in the tent.

"I really don't wanna go back to work on Monday..." Donnie admitted with a yawn, burying his face in the nape of Mikey's neck, the younger one already asleep. "If I see Voron I probably can't keep my mouth shut with how angry his presence makes me."

"Then just quit." Raph mumbled, supporting his head with his hand as his other arm gently rubbed over Leo's skin.

"I don't know if I can. What if we have to leave the mansion?"

"Nah, I'm still high-rank." Leo said with a shrug, eyes closed. "I'm going to subtly gather more information for my own campaign. If we just tell him you want to help with the kids now that Mikey's pregnant, there's nothing he can say or do..."

The oldest turtle yawned. "We just have to keep our mouth shut about me competing against him. We can't give him any time to prepare..."

Leo's voice trailed off as he fell asleep, his mates following shortly after.


	14. Chapter 14

_~Ding Dong~_

"I wanna! I wanna!"

Ky jumped a few times until he could reach the door handle, successfully opening the door. Mikey fondly rubbed a hand over his son's head before turning to greet whoever was at the door.

It was a female turtle, accompanied by a seriously large male turtle. The male wore sunglasses and a stoic expression, but the colorful basket in his arms made him look less intimidating.

The female seemed to be a little older than Mikey, though it was hard judging the age of the turtles here.

"... Hello?" Mikey greeted, remembering his manners. Ky clung to his leg, hiding behind it as he looked up at the big serious turtle from the safety of being behind his mommy.

The female seemed a little nervous, but smiled brightly. "Hello! You must be Michelangelo, right?"

"Uh, yes. Mikey is fine, though."

"Oh, alright." The wide smile stayed fixed, though she seemed unsure when nothing happened.

Mikey blinked at the strange display and pushed Ky fully behind him. The toddler ran off towards the living room. Only seconds later Raph appeared behind Mikey, assessing the visitors with a distrustful expression.

"What do you want?"

That seemed to scare the female, as she faltered and took a tiny step back. The sunglasses-guy stared at Raph, but didn't move or say anything.

Mikey pushed Raph back a little when he saw how genuinely put off the female looked.

"Excuse my mate, Raphael has no manners." Mikey frowned up at Raph, who rolled his eyes. Ever since the incident Raphael was quite wary of anyone.

Leo had joined Donnie to visit Telon. Over the past weeks the medic had apologized a few hundred times, and very _very_ slowly Don began to forgive him. They had begun going over new meds together, and even though Donnie had started to trust Telon again, Leo and Raph wouldn't let them be alone together.

Their election plans were kept top secret, not even Kion and Bogen knew.

The female smiled shakily again and nodded, gaining courage.

"No, it's okay. I'm sorry, I rarely meet new turtles." She apologized. "My name is Asinda, I'm the mayor's wife."

Mikey was sure he felt his heart drop to join his eggs in in his stomach. He fought not to let his surprise and oncoming feeling of dread show, and he was really glad to feel Raph's hand squeeze his shoulder reassuringly.

"What do we owe this pleasure?" Raphael said before Mikey could find his voice again.

"Okay, this sounds really weird." Asinda started, sheepishly rubbing the back of her head with a blush. "But since Voron is busy with whatever all the time lately I grew bored at home. I... I rarely leave the house, so I thought I could start slowly by taking over the customary baby visit."

"... Baby visit?" Mikey asked, blinking.

"I don't know the official term. It's what I call it." She mentioned to the basket her companion was holding. "You know, the gift basket you get when you carry multiple eggs? Didn't you receive one last time?"

"Oh... yes we did. But only after the triplets were born." Mikey relaxed against Raph's solid body, hand automatically coming to rest on his swollen belly. Now four and a half months in it was quite sizable.

"Ugh I know. I'm sorry about that. My mate was so busy, I swear I had it done about a week after you gave birth. I didn't even know you were carrying triplets until Voron told me. It's different with the turtles in The Heights since there aren't too many families. It's the only place I'm comfortable walking around, though also only with my brother Reno here. And-"

"Asinda..." The male interrupted her babbling with a slight eyeroll.

"Oh, right, sorry. Anyways, here's your basket. Best wishes for you and your family." Reno handed the large basket over, that Raph took. It looked heavy, with tons of diapers and baby powder and several baby washes and oils, a few plushies.

Mikey couldn't help but smile. While Voron had made him uneasy from the moment they met, he felt Asinda was a honest turtle.

"Thank you."

"Mommy, we make muffins?" Nix appeared and tugged on Mikey's hand, frowning at the visitors.

He jumped in surprise when Asinda dropped to her knees and squealed.

"Oh my, aren't you a little cutie?!" She gushed, not fazed at all by the baby glare. "Hello little guy, I'm Asinda, what's your name?"

Nix frowned at the female, not getting why she was so happy. He looked up at his mommy and daddy before fixing his gaze on Asinda again.

"Niss." He said, stumbling over the letter 'x'.

"This is Nix." Mikey smiled as he patted his youngest's head. "Phoenix Malachite."

"Ah yes, Voron mentioned you used gemstones for names. A really great idea." She praised, sounding honest.

Raph schooled his expression to hide his surprise. Mikey was really relaxed around this female they should consider the enemy. However, Mikey's intuition had always been right, and even Nix warmed up to the friendly turtle. Now _that_ was the biggest surprise ever.

The baby that would cry when his own daddies would touch him, and even took ages to warm up fully to Kion and his family, was nice to a complete stranger.

"I build a cahsle, you wanna see?"

"Aw sweetie, I don't know. I don't wanna invade your home."

"Mommy! Show Asin-dah cahsle?" Seeing his son so excited around a stranger was an instant dealbreaker for Mikey. There was no need to be afraid of this turtle.

"Please, come in. You want some coffee, tea?" Asinda gave an unsure look at Raph, who let out a sigh and moved to the side, mutely inviting them in.

"Thank you, some tea would be nice. Reno, behave." The last part was directed at her brother, making the large turtle roll his eyes before taking off his shades.

"Sorry, she's quite a ball of energy when you encourage her." Reno cleared his throat as he watched her be dragged off to the living room by Nix.

There was a fond underlying tone that had Raph relax a little. "Don't mention it, I have my own ball of energy here. If he wasn't pregnant he'd jump around with Ky in the garden until they both collapse."

**_xxxxx_**

"Oh wow, what a wonderful castle! And there's even a princess in there!"

Ky smiled shyly as he giggled. "Pincess Lulu. We mus' be quiet. She sleepin'."

Asinda gasped and covered her mouth. "Alright, we don't want to wake princess Lulu from her nap!" She stage-whispered, making the toddlers laugh.

Ky carefully reached for the bracelet on her wrist. "So pwetty!"

Asinda grinned and held her hand out so he could examine it properly. "It's diamonds. You like it?" Ky nodded with wide eyes. They looked like the stars they've seen!

Amy eyed the newcomer warily. She seemed nice, her brothers were relaxed around her. Carefully she toddled over to her. Since daddy wasn't here because he was helping mommy with the beverages, she had to make sure her brothers were safe.

"Can you already read?" Asinda asked Amy, gesturing to the book she was holding. The girl shook her head, hesitantly showing the other female her picture book.

"You read?"

"You want me to read to you? Alright, but we have to be quiet, because Princess Lulu is sleeping." Amy grinned and sat with her brothers as they gathered around the woman, enjoying the story time.

**_xxxxx_**

Some time later Raph was outside with Reno and the kids, playing a softcore version of soccer while Mikey and Asinda were on the couch.

"You have wonderful children, Mikey. And those names, just perfect. And so unique!"

"Thanks." Mikey blushed. "We wanted something that fit together. Once we decided on the category it was more or less a matter of color picking." He chuckled.

Asinda laughed. "Who picked what name?"

"Donnie picked Amethyst. It was that or Charoite, Charo for a boy. He's always loved purple." Mikey leaned back on the couch, a soft smile on his face as he remembered.

"Leo wanted Kyanite for a boy or Topaz for a girl, and Raph said he wanted something special."

"Oh please, these names _are_ special! I don't know of anyone here using gemstones as names!"

"In our dimension it's not as rare. Amber, Jasper, Jade, Ruby, those are kinda common names where we come from."

"Ah okay." Asinda nodded in understanding, sipping from her tea. "So why settle for Malachite? The color too? Green is a beautiful color."

Mikey grinned. "Well, since I didn't get to pick any names myself I insisted we go by Red Malachite, it's a brownish orange. I like orange. And well, Malachite is quite gender neutral, Mal could've fit for both boy and girl."

"It is! But I have to ask, why Phoenix? Sorry if I'm nosy, I just love talking about special names."

"Don't worry... it's just a sensitive topic." Mikey sighed and rubbed his belly. "When they were born Nix' heart didn't beat for a while. We thought he was dead. But he pulled through. He came back like a phoenix from the ashes."

Asinda covered her mouth. "That's... oh my. I'm so glad he survived..."

"Oh believe me, me too. I'm a little scared for these two, to be honest. I don't know what I would do if they don't make it."

"No, don't think like that! You're strong, and your babies are too. You have to believe in them!"

Mikey blinked at the woman for a moment before he couldn't help but chuckle watery, rubbing at his leaking eyes.

"You're right. They're gonna be fine."

"Of course they will." Asinda said sternly, putting her cup away. She smiled then, changing the topic.

"Did you already think of names for them?"

Mikey shrugged, reaching for a book about gemstones under the coffee table.

"I haven't told the others yet, but since I didn't get to pick a name last time I think I deserve to choose the twins'." He smiled as he thumbed through the pages. He stopped and pointed at a picture.

"It's not set in stone, but I like Alexandrite. It changes color and Alex is a good nickname for both boy and girl. Peridot sounds so cute, but I'm not sure if it would fit for when he or she is grown up."

He turned a few pages to find the next on his list. "This is my favorite I think..." Mikey stroked a finger over the picture of a bright blue polished stone. "It looks like the ocean. Here stands it's a mineral, but who cares? Cavansite. Cav for short. I also like Calcite, Cal. "

"Aw..." Asinda smiled.

Mikey giggled and sniffed. "Sorry, I'm a little emotional."

"Oh no, it's okay. That's completely normal. Come, show me more."

"Here. Almandine for a girl, Alma. It's a deep red. Aventurine, Ave or Ava. Cassiterite, Cassi." Mikey counted off, pointing at the matching pictures.

"They all sound so pretty... I could never decide."

"I'm not deciding alone either. I'm gonna present the choices and they can vote." Mikey chuckled.

**_xxxxx_**

"... So you're telling us Voron's wife just came over for tea? And you _like_ her?"

Both Leo and Donnie couldn't believe their ears. Raph was even totally calm when he told them.

"Hey, the kids like her, Mikey likes her. It's not like we told her our deepest secrets. She brought that gift basket, she had some tea and then she and her brother left. Completely peaceful, no nosy questions, nothing to worry about."

"Who are you and what did you do to our Raphael?" Donnie teased, making Raph roll his eyes at him.

"Actually, I think this is a good idea..." Leo mused, leaning back on the couch. "Just think about it. Voron could become suspicious with how Donnie keeps evading him, for example. If we act normal towards his wife he won't have a reason to suspect a thing."

"Yep. And as long as we don't tell her anything..."

"I don't care who; anyone but me is going to give them a bath." Mikey announced as he entered the living room.

"Baff! Baff!" Amy's squeal announced her arrival as she toddled in after him and clapping. She had chocolate smeared around her mouth and fingers. Ky and Nix looked similar.

Raph grinned and got up, offering his seat to his youngest mate, who took it gratefully.

"Now look at you, what did you do?" Nix grinned and licked some chocolate from his little fingers.

"Muffins! Imma chef!"

Mikey chuckled and snuggled into Donnie's side, whose arm came up around him.

"Ah yes, mommy's little chef. Did you all help baking?" Leo asked as he also got up to help bathing them. He picked up Ky, enduring the nuzzle that spread chocolate all over his cheek.

"I an' Amy are f-food c-... cwicket?"

"Critics. Food critics." Mikey supplied with a grin, not even looking up as he got comfortable with his head on Don's lap.

"Oooh, so what do you say? Are the muffins good?"

"Yes! Sooooooo good!" Amy spread her arms wide with a grin. Ky nodded in agreement and Nix grinned proudly.

Raph snatched Amy and Nix up, carrying each of them over a shoulder.

"Alright, let's get you nice and clean now and then it's bed-time." The toddlers squealed and wiggled in their daddy's grip.

Donnie waved bye-bye at them with an amused smile, their laughs and squeals vanishing up the stairs with Leo and Raph.

The olive turtle rubbed his hand over Mikey's head, chuckling at the content purr the action brought.

"You know, one of us could've helped you." He said after a few moments, his hand wandering over Mike's shoulder and arm down to his belly.

"As if I would let any of you know my secret recipe." Mikey smiled with his eyes closed. "I can handle a few energetic toddlers for an hour."

"Yeah, and it didn't tire you out at all." Don said sarcastically, laughing at his brother's yawn.

"I didn't say that." Mikey said, turning to lay on his carapace and enjoying the hand rubbing his belly. "I _am_ tired."

"Mhm, I guess we're going to bed early tonight."

Mikey shrugged. "Oh hey, how did it go with Telon?"

"He's honestly sorry. I see it with every thing he says and does. He acts like I would cut off his tail any second... I still have half the mind to."

"Hey, you said you'd forgive him."

"I said I'd give him a chance, and that's what I'm doing. And believe me, Kion and Bogen made him suffer enough. Just... It's gonna take a lot more time until I can trust him again."

Mikey covered Donnie's hand with his own and smiled. "At least you're trying."

Donatello shrugged one shoulder and smiled. "Yeeeah whatever. Let's talk about something else."

"If you want a distraction, the kitchen is a disaster. And I'm not cleaning it up."

"..." Donnie blinked for a moment. "Why don't we watch TV? The show you like so much is on."

After successfully diverting the topic, the two turtles watched a show for a while until Raph and Leo came back.

"They want a bedtime story."

Mikey rubbed his eye, having been on the verge of falling asleep. "Can't you read something to them? I'm tired."

"We tried, they insist on mommy's special beddie-bye story." Mikey gave a sleepy chuckle and got up with Donnie's help.

"Fine, they get their story."

Don turned off the TV and draped an arm over Mike's shoulders, walking along with him.

"I'm coming with him. You two could do the dishes and join us? When they're asleep we could have a little fun..."

"Sounds like a plan." Raph grinned and grabbed Leo's hand, pulling him to the kitchen.

As soon as their backs were turned, Donnie pushed Mikey up the stairs as fast as possible. They were already closing the upper gate behind them when they heard the twin groans from their mates at the sight of the messy kitchen.

"How did they manage to hit the ceiling?!"

Mikey and Donnie exchanged looks and giggled before going to find their babies for their story time.

They were huddled under an improvised tent in Nix' room. Leo and Raph had built it and had dragged a few blankets and pillows underneath so their toddlers could cuddle together.

"Hm, I wonder where our babies are..." Donnie said out loud, grinning when they could hear them giggling cutely from the tent.

"I don't know, Donnie, if they aren't here I won't have anyone to tell my beddie-bye story to..."

There was a lot of shifting coming from the tent until the triplets rolled out.

"Here! Mommy, we here!"

Mikey and Donnie laughed at the enthusiasm.

"There you are!" Donnie tickled Ky's sides, making the kid giggle.

"Come in-side! Stowy time!"

After squeezing inside and some additional squirming around to get comfortable they settled down.

"Mommy?" Amy asked from Donnie's lap, leaning over to rest both hands on Mikey's rounded belly. "Baby soon?"

Mikey laughed and rested his head on Don's shoulder.

"It's still a while, sweetie. They have to grow a little more, their shells are still too soft..."

Ky pressed a slobbery kiss to the swell and patted it carefully. "Baby hear stowy too?"

"Mh, I don't know if they can hear it yet. Maybe." Donnie answered.

Nix had a frown on his face as he snuggled into Mikey's other side. "But mommy... dis _our_ stowy..."

Amy gasped at her younger brother. "Niss! We share!"

Nix' frown deepened and his bottom lip stuck out in a pout. He squeezed Mikey best he could with his short arms.

"No! No shay-wing!"

Mikey blinked at that. Nix never had problems sharing with his siblings. He had no idea how to handle this. "It stays your story, don't worry. I'm gonna make up another story for your siblings." He assured their toddlers.

He and Donnie exchanged looks. They'd have to keep an eye on that.

"Papa, Asin-dah has pwetty bling." Amy said, pointing at her own wrist.

"Pretty bling?" Donatello asked with a smile.

"A diamond bracelet." Mikey explained.

"Bling like stars!" Nix' eyes were wide and shining as he said that.

"Yeah, diamonds are pretty. All gemstones are pretty." Donnie said, rubbing a hand over Amy's head. "You are named after gemstones."

Ky gasped. "Pwetty too?"

"You know, if Papa is nice enough he could get my book from the living room... then we could show you."

At the expectant looks directed at him Donnie couldn't deny. With a playfully suffering sigh he got up to retrieve the book.

When he came back he had a grin on his face. "Maybe we should sleep here tonight." He whispered as he crawled back into their tent. "Sounds like they're gonna be busy for a while, and they won't be happy." He snickered.

Mikey laughed while their toddlers ignored them and grabbed for the book Donnie brought. Ky patted the cover impatiently.

"Show! Show!"

"Alright, alright, geeze." Mikey opened the book and found a picture of an Amethyst. "Here, that's Amy's namesake."

"Ooooh... so pwetty!"

"Yes, really pretty." The adults watched in amusement as their toddlers gushed over the photo, and the others next to it. They turned the page themselves eagerly to see more.

Amy gasped and pointed at a picture of a green gem. "Mommy! Whassat?"

"Aventurine. You like it?"

Their daughter nodded eagerly, while Ky tilted his head. "Is gween."

"Yes sweetie, green."

"Avy is pwetty!" Nix exclaimed with a satisfied nod after inspecting the picture, shortening the complicated name.

Mikey smiled and snuggled against Donnie again. "Mommy likes it too." He said with a pointed look at his mate.

"If we have another girl we could name her Aventurine. Little Avy..." Don smiled. "I like the sound of it."

Pressing a kiss to the olive cheek Mikey gave a satisfied purr. A squeal from their kids brought them back to reality.

"Look! Ocean!"

"That's Cavansite."

"But is stone, why look like ocean?" Amy patted Don's knee without averting her gaze from the book. Her smart Papa knew basically everything.

"That's too complicated to explain now, princess. When you're older I'll tell you, alright?" The girl pouted, but nodded.

"Baby Cav... Cav'nsite?"

"We don't know yet... maybe we find another stone you like."

Since it was getting late, and their babies were growing tired, Mikey sped things up a little and quickly found Kyanite. "That's Ky's stone."

"Bloo!"

"Yes, blue, very good." Donnie chuckled at the delighted expression of their oldest son.

"Where mine?"

Mikey flipped to Malachite, specifically Red Malachite. "Here."

"Ooooh..." He cooed, grinning as he patted the picture. "I get b... b..." He frowned at the word he couldn't get out and pointed on his wrist instead.

"You want a bracelet with your stone?" Mikey asked, a little surprised.

Nix nodded eagerly. A chorus of "Me too!" sounded from his siblings.

"That's actually a sweet idea... There's this shop in the southern quarters. In this dimension gems aren't expensive." Donnie mused. "If you go to sleep really fast now, mommy and I will talk to daddy and fafa about it."

In a flash the toddlers tumbled over themselves to curl up in a cute little turtle pile, snuggling. They were tired anyways, and with thoughts of their very own special bracelets they fell asleep only minutes later.

**_xxxxx_**

"... And then, you won't believe it, I left the house and-"

"What? You left the house? Where did you go?" Voron frowned, sighing. "You know I don't like it when you roam around..."

Asinda rolled her eyes and put away her fork. She and Voron were having a late dinner.

"Since you are so busy I got bored. I didn't roam around, I thought I could visit Michelangelo to give him one of my gift baskets. Don't worry, Reno went with me."

"... You visited Michelangelo? Was Raphael there too?"

"Yes, and he was like, really freaking me out at first. I thought he would snap at me any second." She grinned. "But then he relaxed and he and Reno went to play a ball game with the triplets. Oh you should've seen them, they are so cute!"

Voron had a thoughtful expression on as he took another bite from his food. He was pretty sure he had Leonardo on his side, at least he didn't react any different. And Donatello had bought his kind act too, even though he stayed at home now most of the time.

However, with Raphael he always felt the distrust. He was partly the reason Voron didn't stop by to visit as often as he'd like to.

He smiled pleasantly. "I can imagine. How are they doing? I haven't visited them in a while."

"Oh, they're doing so well. Amy is so smart, and her speech is so well developed! Ky is a little athlete, so full of energy and his coordination is really remarkable. And Nix, you know, for his age he really has wise eyes. It sounds weird, but sometimes it felt as if he x-rayed me."

Interesting. And so perfect. Voron felt the giddiness build up in his chest. All he needed was more patience, and then he could finally go through with his plan.

"With how skilled their parents are it's no wonder. What about Michelangelo's pregnancy? He's doing well?"

"We didn't really talk much about it. He told me he's a little emotional, the mood swings are kicking in soon. He seemed to be doing okay, but with how sweet his mates are treating him that's a given."

"Of course. They share such a deep connection."

"Exactly! Mikey told me a little bit about how they support him and help him with the kids."

"Do you plan on visiting them again?" His wife could be the key to keep track of the children's development. Without raising suspicions and with enough time to concentrate on other important matters.

"I don't know, Vee. You know I don't like to bother others."

"My sweet darling, you could never bother anyone. Bring them a few slices next time you make your tasty fruit pie. The triplets' birthday is in a couple of months, we should give them a present."

"We shouldn't favor one family over others, Voron..."

"They're triplets, they're special. They deserve a little extra attention."

At Asinda's skeptical expression he shrugged and added, "But if it makes you feel better, you could make another gift basket for Kion and his family, even if he only carries one egg."

"I guess I could do that..." Asinda looked down at her plate. Why was he suddenly okay with her 'roaming around'? He always said it was too dangerous, he didn't want her to get hurt. "To be honest, I'm a little surprised you changed your mind about me going out pretty fast..."

"As long as you keep your visits at day time, stay in The Heights and take Reno with you it's fine. I can't force you to stay inside forever, my darling."


	15. Chapter 15

Cute giggles and not-so-hushed whispers were what woke Leonardo up. The noise came from just outside the bedroom door, and he could hear Mikey with them, trying to shush them with a giggle of his own.

Smiling involuntarily Leo closed his eyes again, nuzzling the muscular arm his head was resting on and squeezing the olive turtle's body in front of him as he pretended to be still asleep when the door opened.

He loved Sundays. He was relaxed enough to actually sleep in. So relaxed he hadn't noticed his pregnant mate getting up. The deep breaths of Raphael and Don indicated they were still sleeping peacefully. Judging the excited pats of small feet coming their way that was about to change very soon.

A grin appeared on his face when he felt the first weight on the bed, undoubtedly Ky. Two other weights joined and moved; Leo could feel one of his children climb onto him and had to keep in a pained gasp as one knee dug painfully in his side.

He felt Raph stir behind him as he too was being climbed at. Squinting his eyes open subtly he could see Amy's tongue sticking out as she positioned herself by Donnie, grinning at her siblings and probably at Mikey.

"Ssh. On three." Mikey said in a stage-whisper and counted off slowly for his children. The toddlers had troubles containing their giggles as they counted with him.

"One..."

Leo noticed the breathing pattern of Donnie and Raph changing, indicating that they were waking up.

"Two..."

Subtly shifting as they realized the situation.

"Three!"

The skylight opened and their kids shouted excitedly.

"Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!"

Donatello groaned at the bright light coming from the skylight, but couldn't help a grin when Amy pressed a wet kiss to his cheek and hugged him tight with her small arms around his neck.

Raphael endured the rather rough pats on his plastron with a chuckle as Nix kept laughing and wiggling, trying to get him to get up.

Ky was also hugging Leo with cute chirps as he nuzzled his plastron.

"What happened to just cuddling in the morning?" Raph groaned with humor as he rubbed his eyes.

"Today is special day!" Nix explained with wide eyes.

Leo blinked, wrecking his brain to find out what day it could be. No birthday, that was for sure.

"And what day would that be?"

"F... Fah-dah-pah's Day!"

"What? Do you mean Father's Day?" Donnie frowned at Amy. They never celebrated Father's day since coming here. The traditional date for Father's Day back home was used for visiting their improvised grave. They were way too late anyways. Not that it mattered in a dimension without holidays.

"Yeeees, kind of." Mikey said from his place sitting on the bed by the switch for the skylight. "Our own customary holiday to celebrate you. FaDaPa's Day, since we have a _Fa_fa, a _Da_da and a _Pa_pa." Mikey grinned at his invention.

"What a sweet idea..." Leo praised, eyes glinting with happiness.

"You have to get up!" Nix urged, pulling on Raph's head as if he could pull him upright like that. "We did bweakfast!"

Raph grinned and sat up, holding Nix' shell so he wouldn't fall with the motion.

"Did you now? Well I guess then we have to get up."

"Please tell me there's coffee too..." Donnie mumbled through a yawn.

Amy giggled and nodded. "Mommy make coffee. I help."

"Aw good, that means it's even better than usual." Donnie joked as he got up, Amy still clinging to him.

Ky climbed on Raphael's shell with Leo's help and wrapped his arms around his head, sitting comfortably on top of his daddy's shell and shoulders.

"Daddy go! We did bay-con!"

"Oh wow! Then we have to hurry!" Raph held onto Nix with one arm and used the other to secure Ky as he got up and hurried after Donnie.

Leo crawled over the blankets and pillows to where Mikey sat and pressed a kiss to his cheek.

"You really like the surprise?" Mikey had a small blush on his face as he asked, nuzzling into his oldest mate.

"Of course, baby. It really is a sweet idea..." Leo rubbed his hand over the pregnant belly lovingly.

"I just thought... you're great dads. You deserve a special day. I just wasn't sure if you would approve, because of-"

"Mikey," Leo interrupted, pressing a kiss to the sea-green neck with a smile, "It's okay."

They sat in silence for a few moments, enjoying their closeness.

"We should get going before Raph and Ky eat all of the bacon." Mikey giggled at Leo's pretend-shocked gasp.

The slightly taller turtle got up and helped his mate up, leading him to the kitchen.

**_xxxxx_**

"Is that melon? Can I have some? Here, have some of my nachos."

"Oh, that'd go well with my vanilla pudding! Raphie, can I have a piece of your pizza?"

Raph wordlessly pushed his plate of meat-lover pizza over, burying his face in the top of Ky's head so he wouldn't have to see Mikey dip the pizza into his cup of vanilla pudding. Kion helped himself, dipping some of his nachos inside too, also adding a cube of melon to the mix.

Even Leo with his iron control wrinkled his beak, rather concentrating on their kids, who enjoyed their food.

They had decided to go out for lunch. Telon insisted on inviting them, doing his best to get back in their good graces. He and Bogen were chatting with Donnie about something, blissfully unaware of whatever Mikey and Kion were eating.

Amy paid rapt attention to whatever they said, comfortable in her papa's lap as she nibbled on a piece of pizza.

"Didn't you say tomatoes made you sick?" Leo asked, wiping some sauce from Nix' cheeks.

"The _smell_ of tomatoes." Mikey corrected as he and Kion kept trading their food and mixing it in various combinations that had Raph feel queasy.

"Mommy, when's babies out?" Ky asked from his place on Raph's lap, curiously eyeing Mike's belly.

"A little more than three months, sweetie." Mikey automatically rubbed his swell with one hand, using the other to bop Ky's forehead, making him giggle.

Ky couldn't wait for his new siblings. He loved his brother and sister, his whole family, and soon there would be even more family to love.

Amy was so proud every time she was praised for her intelligence. Donnie was her role model. He was so smart, and she noticed that every time someone wanted to know something, they came to ask her papa. She wanted to be smart like him. And her siblings could come to ask her everything. She would teach her new siblings everything she knew.

Nix, on the other hand, thought entirely different. At first he didn't really care or understood the implications of more siblings. He loved Amy and Ky, sharing mommy with them was easy as Amy stuck to papa and Ky was glued to Leo and Raph mostly.

What if his new siblings took his mommy away from him? He loved cooking with him, or when he bathed him after. When they cuddled before he brought him to bed. That was their special alone time, like papa would play with Amy in his lab or would read with her. Or the special training fafa and Ky would do, or when daddy and Ky played for hours outside.

That was fine with Nix. They had together time, and their separate alone times. If the others would share their alone time, fine, but Nix didn't want to share his mommy-time.

The mention of his soon-to-be siblings made him frown. Wiggling out of Leo's lap he slipped under the table and squeezed up between Raph and Mikey.

Another thing he didn't like about the new babies. When mommy was sitting there was barely room for him to cuddle up on his lap. There was always this huge belly in between them.

"Mommy." He requested, patting the free space on his thighs.

"Just a second, honey." Mikey said, wiping his fingers on a napkin. He started to bend forward a little to pick his younger son up when Raph pushed him back by his shoulder.

"Wait." Raphael shifted to pick Nix up and place him on Mikey's lap instead. Mikey rolled his eyes as he wrapped his arms around his son, who clung to him.

"I could've done it, Raph."

"They're getting heavy, you're not lifting any of them."

Mikey let out a sigh while Nix glared at his daddy. He snuggled his face into mommy's belly as he couldn't get anywhere else.

"So, have you thought of a name yet?" Michelangelo asked to get a better conversation going.

"Kind of." Kion swallowed his bite. "Elia wanted to get a say in it too, so we told her a few names and she was allowed to pick one for a boy and one for a girl."

Hearing her name, Elia perked up from her place on Bogen's lap. "I chose!" She beamed.

"Oh really? Well, what names did you choose?"

"I really really hope I get a sister." She started, "Lenara."

Leo smiled as he rested his chin on his hand. "What a sweet name. And what if you get a brother?"

"Taro. A brother would be okay too... but he has to play dolly with me."

"I bet he would love to."

**_xxxxx_**

"Donnie?"

Donatello put down his tools and hurried to the door of his lab.

"Yeah?" He called up to Mikey.

"C-Can you come up please?" A small frown appeared on Don's face as he complied, climbing up the stairs.

"I thought you and the others went for a walk with Bogen and Elia?"

"No... I told them to go alone..."

Mike's strained voice made him take the rest of the stairs faster. When he reached his mate his concern grew at the paleness of him.

"What's wrong?" Donnie asked and supported Mikey from where he was bending over, a hand on his belly.

"Cramps." Mike hissed, leaning against his taller brother and took deep careful breaths. "They're really bad, Donnie..."

The olive turtle helped Mikey to the couch and made him lay back.

"Did you drink enough?"

"Yes..." The younger sniffed, holding his belly with one hand and rubbing at his eyes with the other. "I just drank some water. The ache was only really dull this morning, and now it's like shards sticking out of the eggs..."

There was a huge glass half-filled with water and ice cubes on the table, showing Donatello that he was speaking the truth about drinking enough.

That was indeed very concerning. Don's first thought was to call Telon, but he didn't know any more about the drug than Donatello himself.

The genius grabbed a shellcell from the coffee table and cupped Mikey's cheek, wiping a stray tear with his thumb.

"It's okay," he assured, trying to get his own heartbeat under control. "I'm going to call Dr. Dreon, to make sure everything's alright."

Mikey nodded and rubbed his belly to somehow soothe the ache.

The doctor appeared worried at the news, which did nothing to calm Don's nerves.

"Sweetheart, we have to go to the hospital, can you get up?" With Donnie's help Mikey managed to get up from the couch and leaned against his brother.

"Do you think something's really wrong with them?" Mike asked fearfully. He's been scared that something could happen to them, that their hearts would stop beating and would not start again.

"I'm sure it's gonna be okay. We just have to stay calm." Don tried to assure his mate and himself.

To tell the truth, he was freaking out. Ever since they learned about the drug, the poison, he was worried that something could happen. That there could be complications, that they could loose the eggs, that it would hurt Mikey, or worse.

It was a sick and twisted experiment for the mayor, after all. Nobody knew what it would eventually do to the body.

On their way to the hospital Donnie briefly thought about contacting Leo and Raph. In the end he decided against it. They would freak out and that in turn would freak out the triplets. Worst case was that they would finally snap and attack Telon for bringing this on them. Honestly, Donatello would go berserk on him himself if something was wrong with their babies.

No, Don would wait for the doctor's explanation, he would wait for some good news to tell their mates, so they wouldn't worry their asses off.

There was no need to scare everyone as much as he was at the moment.

Don's musings ended when the hospital came in sight. "We're almost there, sweetheart, just a little more." He coached, heart bleeding when Mikey gave a whimper as an answer when the cool autumn breeze washed over them.

They hurried to the hospital, where Donnie snagged a nearby empty wheelchair and helped Mikey to sit on it. A turtle nurse at the front desk guided them to a room, where Dreon was already waiting with some familiar equipment.

They helped Michelangelo to lay down on the hospital bed and Dreon hooked him up on a machine that constantly checked his vitals. Then he concentrated on Mike's bulging plastron.

Donnie could hear their twins' heartbeats, both a little faster than they should be. When the cool jelly for the ultrasound device touched Mike's belly, the pregnant turtle hissed, and soon after they could see their babies on the screen.

From what they could tell, it looked like they were squirming rigidly in the eggs, as if having a seizure.

"Mh. Blood pressure's a little high." Dreon commented, checking Mikey's vitals. "That seems to be the problem. They react to Michelangelo's stress."

Mikey averted his gaze, burying his face in Don's shoulder as Dreon inserted an IV needle into his arm. Donatello watched the doctor with narrowed eyes.

"I'm hooking him up with something that should lower his blood pressure, the pain should lessen in a few minutes." He explained, selecting a bag from a cabinet, filled with some liquid medicine for Mikey.

When none of them answered, Dreon pulled the blanket out from under Mike's feet and pulled it over him, up over his belly. "It's gonna be fine. Get some rest, I'll check on you in about an hour. The drip should be through by then."

Dreon seemed in a hurry to leave. As soon as he left their sight, Mikey poked Donnie.

"He's lying."

"I know. There's no way that's the reason." For all their lives, Don had always been taking care of his brother's health. He knew their bodies inside and out. And while Mikey's blood pressure really seemed a little high, it was quite in the normal range. "He's keeping something from us. Probably about the drug."

"I bet he's calling Voron right now... you could go spy on him."

Donnie craned his neck to kiss the top of Mikey's head. As much as he wanted to find out the truth, he didn't want to leave his pregnant mate alone.

"I won't leave you alone."

"Dee, come on. I wanna know what's wrong with our babies. It's getting better already."

Don bit his lip and sighed, but complied and hurried out the door to find the doctor.

In a mostly empty hallway he found him, leaning against a wall next to a supply closet with a phone in his hand.

The olive turtle slipped into the hallway, finding a good hiding spot by a vending machine. He pretended to play with his own phone, but his ear-holes strained to pick up the voice of the medic.

"... I'm not entirely sure, Voron. It seems they have a severe reaction to the cold. When I applied the jelly the pain seemed to intensify, and it looked like the babies were having a seizure."

There was a short pause as Voron spoke.

"Of course not. I told them it was high blood pressure, the stress. He's getting a warming solution right now, we'll see if the cramps lessen."

Donatello clenched his fists. His mate and their unborn babies were not some lab rats to experiment on!

"... I don't know. We'll have to wait until they hatch. Though there could be certain risks..."

Another pause.

"Well, it looks like Michelangelo's body isn't really adapting well to the pregnancy. His plastron is stiffer than it should be at this point, if the eggs grow bigger it won't give much more, it's probably gonna be really uncomfortable.

And the birth... I'm not sure if his body is even realizing its really pregnant. Look, I don't have the time for lengthy explanations. I'm concerned that the uterus won't open properly when it's time to pass the eggs."

Mahagony eyes widened at this information.

"We'll have to wait and see, Voron. We just have to think of something if it's the case. Maybe another small dose of the drug to open it. There could be quite the complications, like the eggs being stuck inside or Michelangelo could be seriously hurt when he tries to force them out..."

Donnie covered his mouth with his hand as he listened, heart rate picking up. He couldn't believe it. Rage knotted his stomach, sharing the space with worry.

"Unfortunately I don't know if Kion is experiencing the same problem. You're gonna have to ask Telon about it..."

…

"I'm not sure what would happen if they aren't warmed up when they have a seizure. Could be their hearts could stop. You should warn Telon."

Don bit the inside of his cheek hard enough to taste blood. It took him everything he had not to just grab the doctor and let out his inner Raph.

He looked down at his shellcell. Right, he had to call them and let them know.

"Voron, I have to go now... Relax, I'm gonna keep him overnight to keep an eye on him... Yes, I'm gonna call you immediately when something happens..."

Donatello could practically hear the eye-roll of the doctor and took the goodbye as a clue to leave.

In front of Mikey's room Don took a few deep breaths and schooled his expression as not to scare and/or worry his mate. Even if that wasn't the reason for Mike's cramps, stress wasn't good.

"Did you find him? You heard something?" Mikey immediately asked, struggling to sit up from where he was laying on his side.

Donnie hurried over and gently pushed him back down, making sure the blanket was covering the baby bump. With a smile that he hoped was reassuring he sat down on the bed and pulled his mate close, nuzzling his head.

"We're probably gonna have to stay the night. Are you feeling better?"

Mikey gave a tiny frown, but snuggled into his big brother, carefully resting his hand on his belly without pulling the needle from his arm.

"Yeah. Though I'm a little tired now. And warm." A small yawn accompanied his words. "You're gonna tell me what you heard? You look like you're gonna pull a Raph any second."

Of course he couldn't hide his emotional state from Mikey. Donnie sighed.

"Apparently our babies don't like the cold. Looks like they're cold-blooded too... in an extremer way." Donatello shrugged his free shoulder.

"And it could be they're gonna push harder against your plastron than the triplets did back then, because it's stiffer than last time."

"Because of the drug?" Mikey asked, biting his lip as he rubbed his belly through the blanket.

"I'm afraid so, yes."

"Are they gonna be okay?"

Donnie smiled as he pressed a kiss to Mike's head and pulled him closer. For now it was better not to tell him of any risks.

"We're gonna make sure they are okay. Just take it easy and everything will be fine." He promised, relieved when Mikey believed him and purred as he snuggled even closer.

"... We're gonna have to call Leo and Raph... they're gonna be worried."

"They're worried anyways. I'd be surprised if there was a second they aren't worrying about something."

Still Donatello fished out his shellcell with one hand and dialed Raphael's number. As much as it surprised all of them, when it came to their babies Raph tended to keep a clearer head than their typically stoic leader.

Not that he could tell them right now with Mikey listening. They're gonna have to talk about that when they were back home.

"Babe? What's up?" Raph sounded out of breath, apparently they've been running.

"Uh..." Suddenly Don's vocabulary left him. "Don't freak out?" He started, resisting the urge to facepalm.

He could practically hear Raph's face crinkle to a frown. Mikey giggled at Donnie's soundless sigh.

"Why? What happened?" In their minds Mikey and Donnie imagined Leo stopping in his tracks now, worrying his tail off already.

"Before I tell you, let me say: Everything's okay. Mikey and the eggs are fine." Sadly there wasn't a relieved sigh. "But well, we're kinda at the hospital."

"The hospital?!" Raph hissed, and Don could hear him walk a few steps away. Another set of steps followed him. "Donnie, what happened?!"

"Mikey had cramps, his stomach was hurting. Look, I can't talk about the real reason right now, but it's because of the drug." He said the last part quieter. "Apparently the babies don't react too well to the cold. That's all I can say for now, the doctor is coming to check up on Mikey soon."

"We're coming over."

"No!" Donnie blurted a little louder than intended. "No, don't. Mikey's hooked up on an IV and looks pretty worn, I don't want the kids to see him like that. You know how they are."

"... We can have Bogen watch them for a while."

"Seriously Raph, it's okay. He's already fallen asleep. Just try to act normal around the kids so they don't worry."

There was a hard sigh on the other end of the line. "Fine. When are you coming home?"

"Uhm. Tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?"

"I overheard the doc. He wants to keep Mikey over night to make sure he and the eggs are fine."

"... How are we supposed to act as if everything was okay when you two aren't home?"

"I don't know, Raph... Just tell them we're on an important trip or something. I could pick up the bracelets we ordered before we come home, tell them we're out to get their birthday presents."

"Their birthday is two months away."

"Shell Raph, they don't even know when their birthday is yet." Donnie was grateful Mikey had indeed fallen asleep with his head resting on Don's shoulder.

Raphael seemed to have picked up on his mate's unusual agitation.

"... What's wrong?" He asked after a second, his heart beating up to his throat.

Donnie rubbed his forehead, tired out from the stressful events.

"I'm gonna tell you tomorrow when we're home. I can't explain right now."

"That's not really making me feel better, babe..."

"It's not that bad. And not even a hundred percent sure... look, please, let's talk about this tomorrow."

"Why don't you come home and Leo or I stay with Mikey?" Raph offered, noting the exhausted tone.

Don's arm tightened automatically around Mikey.

"No, it's fine. I'm gonna see if I can find out a little more tonight... Just make sure you guys don't die of worry." A smile tugged at the corner of Don's mouth. "And cuddle the kids for us."

Raph sighed, probably feeling helpless because he couldn't do anything to help his younger mates right now.

"Alright, we will. Call us immediately if you hear something... Love you, and kiss Mikey for us."

"Sure... love you too." Donnie already felt tons better. He had a stupid grin and a blush on his face as he ended the call.

No matter how long they are together, or whatever they did together; it felt so special to hear the L-word from any of his mates, especially from Raph.

Mikey mumbled something in his sleep, snuggling his face more into Don's shoulder. Donnie smiled and laid down properly to take a small nap before he'd go information hunting.


	16. Chapter 16

"Where mommy?"

"Where papa?"

"When be back?"

Those three questions were practically on repeat since they came home. Even though Leonardo and Raphael did their best to act normal, the triplets seemed to see through their half-hearted lies and reassuring smiles.

They've always been very attuned to their parents' emotions.

For the rest of the evening it was easier distracting them, but when it was time for bed they couldn't escape the questions anymore.

"When you wake up we will go get them." Leo promised as he pulled a blanket over the baby turtle pile. They had once again gathered in the fort in Nix' room.

"Why no get now?" Amy asked, her bottom lip sticking out in a pout.

"I want mommy..." Nix sniffed, clutching a plushie to his plastron.

Ky didn't understand why his mommy and papa weren't here, but daddy and fafa said they would come back soon, and his daddy and fafa never lied to them.

He wiggled to snuggle between his siblings and hugged them both by their arms to comfort them.

"Fafa story?" He asked, hoping to distract his beloved brother and sister.

Leo's face looked so... wrong as he read to them. He leaned on Raph, whose arm was around his shoulders, a far away look on his face. What was wrong with them? Ky didn't understand.

They did stay a while after the story ended, quietly watching them sleep. Usually the toddlers fell asleep during the story, but this time they had troubles finding the deep rest they usually had.

Long after Leo and Raph left the room Ky woke from his very light sleep.

Both Amy and Nix were sniffing quietly, hugging their plushies close as they snuggled to Ky.

"Mommy and papa gonna be home soon." Kyanite tried to soothe them.

"Why are not home _now_? How d'you know they be home soon?"

"Dunno... but daddy say so."

"Daddy's sad..." Amy mumbled into her plush bunny. "Fafa's sad. Maybe gone forever."

Nix hiccuped at that. "I want mommy..." he repeated.

Ky's eyes were wide. Why would his siblings think they won't come back? Fafa said... but Amy was right. They both were sad. Was it true? Papa and mommy would never abandon them... would they?

Not being able to help himself Ky felt his own eyes tear up. Soon they were all wailing.

As soon as their door opened they shot out from their fort and threw themselves against Leo's and Raph's legs.

"I want papa!"

"I want mama!"

"Dey gone forever!"

"Nonono, honey, they're not gone forever. When it's day again they're gonna come home." Raph explained, wiping tears from his daughter's cheeks.

"Pwomise?"

"Yes princess, I promise. The sooner you all fall asleep the sooner we can go pick them up."

"Sleep wit daddy an' fafa..." Ky rubbed his own teary eyes as he squeezed on Leo's lap with Nix.

Leonardo hugged them tight and nuzzled both their heads with a sigh. He doubted he'd get any sleep at all with how much he was worrying.

Of course their children would be scared. They didn't understand why Mikey and Donnie weren't home with them at night. Especially Michelangelo's absence was hard on them, since he was practically _always_ there, they've never been apart for more than a few hours since they hatched.

"Sure, let's go cuddle up." Leo gave a small smile and let his sons cling to him as he stood up to carry them to the master bedroom.

Raph followed with Amy, and a few minutes later they were all snuggled together under fluffy blankets.

Feeling assured by the presence of Raphael and Leonardo the toddlers fell asleep pretty soon, while the adults laid awake for quite a while.

"The next time I see Voron I'm gonna kill him."

Leo didn't answer for a few moments, eyes staying on the stars they were watching through their skylight.

"Make it look like an accident." He finally mumbled, sighing and turning his face to meet Raph's gaze.

"I don't know what we're gonna do if something happens to them..."

"Stop." Raph shook his head slowly as not to wake Ky, who was tucked under his chin. "Don't even go there. They're gonna be fine."

"We thought that before too, and now Mikey's in hospital." Leo hissed, fighting the urge to get up and let out his frustration.

"It's just so... shell. It's like he's just a lab rat for Voron. He's playing with Mikey's life, and with the lives of our unborn children. And it's so pointless too!"

Raph let him rant, expression serious. He's had those thoughts himself a million times already. He just didn't get the mayor's motives. What did he _want_ with their children? Why _them_?

Of course he was just as worried about Mikey as Leo was. But if he started thinking about the what-if's he'd go crazy. And their kids needed them to keep a level head.

"When you win the election next year we won't have to worry about him anymore."

"_If_ I win."

"No, you're gonna win for sure. You know, I've been thinking. You and Donnie could sneak into the lab again and get a sample of the drug. Proof. I'm sure the population won't think it's so great that their mayor is experimenting on their kind."

"Who knows. Maybe the majority won't mind since it's not affecting the alphas and neutrals."

"Damn Leo, what happened to your fire?"

"I'm just so sick of this!" Nix stirred, so Leo went quiet until the boy settled down again, and then he lowered his voice.

"I'm sick of always having to fight. Of always having to worry..."

Raph sighed and stretched his arm over to squeeze Leo's shoulder.

"Fearless, we've been fine and happy here in this dimension. The only problem is Voron. And as soon as you are the mayor you can kick him out of the city. You could have him arrested for what he did. And then we can continue to live in peace."

Leo gave a weak smile.

"Until the next maniac comes." He attempting to joke, and that had Raph grinning.

"Yes, but with you in mayor position I have green light to beat them to a pulp before they do any harm."

**_xxxxx_**

"Why didn't you wake me up?" Mikey whined the next morning when Donnie woke him with a gentle hand on his cheek.

"... I _am_ waking you up right now, sweetheart."

Mikey rubbed at his eyes and sat up against the pillows. "I meant yesterday evening... We could've called them to say the kids goodnight..."

Donnie smiled and placed a tray of food on Mike's lap.

"You needed rest. Besides, if the kids were whining for you to come home you'd ignore every warning and run all the way."

The freckled turtle pouted, but didn't deny that statement. He picked half-heartedly on a piece of toast.

"I miss them..."

Donatello sipped from his coffee and settled down next to Mikey, an arm around his shoulders.

"They miss you too. As soon as you've finished eating we can go home."

"Really? Just like that?"

"While you slept like a log the doctor examined you and gave permission."

"What did he say?" Mike asked, taking bigger bites now that he knew he could leave afterwards. Don rolled his eyes.

"Of course he insisted it's stress. And he tried to convince me that being warm is reducing stress, so we should make sure you stay warm at all times and rest more. I pretended to believe him."

"Ugh. Okay. I don't mind being warm though." Donnie chuckled at that. Mikey smiled as he sipped from a cup of juice.

"We're gonna follow that instruction anyways, don't worry. Actually, I've already talked to Leo before and we decided to include a basking session to your schedule."

Michelangelo frowned. "But I don't need basking..."

"Our babies do. Especially now that it's colder the warmth is good for them, and you."

The reminder that their unborn babies were in danger was a good enough incentive for the pregnant turtle. Man, he really wanted to see his toddlers again.

"I'm done, can we go now?" Mikey pushed the tray away.

Donnie sighed and pulled it closer again, tapping the bowl of fruit salad.

"Eat."

"Dee... I wanna go hoooome..."

"In ten minutes Raph and Leo are picking us up with the children, come on, eat up."

Mikey blinked at this new information, but complied and started to eat the fruit. He rubbed his belly with his free hand. He really slept long. He didn't remember being that exhausted.

"... Oh, did you find something out yesterday?"

Don yawned. "Sadly no. He's not keeping any files around here. We're gonna have to find out where he has your file..."

The genius' face grew more serious.

"What's wrong?" Mikey asked, swallowing the last piece of fruit.

"Uhm. When I snooped around this morning I found Telon and Kion in another room."

"What?!" Michelangelo sat up straighter, looking at his mate with wide eyes.

"Yeah... I only talked to Telon very briefly. Apparently Kion got sick around three am, and wouldn't stop vomiting for an hour straight. Along with cramps similar to yours."

Don already regret saying anything when he saw how shaken Mikey was.

"Oh shell... how is he? Can we visit them before we leave?"

"They gave him the same medicine you got, and he's been asleep since. He should be fine in a while. I told Telon about the temperature problem." Donnie explained. "We can visit them when Kion's back home."

"But if it's the same problem I had, why is it so much worse with him?"

"My guess is that it's because you're warm-blooded. The babies draw the warmth from you, it lessens their reaction. Kion's baby can't do that since he's cold-blooded."

Mikey nodded in understanding. He felt really sorry for his friend. But Donnie said he should be fine...

"How's Telon?"

"He's a mess, to be honest. He keeps blaming himself. Can't really say I disagree..." He mumbled the last part, earning a slap on the shoulder from Mikey.

"What? It's true. Leo, Raph and I were scared to death yesterday because he poisoned you."

Michelangelo sighed. Even though they got along again, there was no use talking to Donnie when he was in one of his moods.

"Bogen must be worried too..."

"Leo said he was really shaken. Elia thankfully slept through the commotion... There's probably going to be quite the fight once Kion's better."

**_xxxxx_**

"Mommy! Papa!"

Mikey sank to his knees immediately to greet his children with a big hug and butterfly kisses to their faces.

Donnie wrapped his arms around all of them, soon being joined by Leo and Raph.

"Aw, I missed my sweeties so much!"

"We miss you too!"

"How are you?" Leo asked quietly as he nuzzled Mikey's cheek.

The freckled turtle smiled at the gentle caress and kissed Leo's beak.

"I'm all good. Don't worry."

Leo just kissed him fully on the lips, best as he could with their family huddled so close.

He couldn't help but worry, not after the conversation with Donnie this morning. They needed to keep a close eye on Mikey, who knew what other complications could arrive? The incident with Kion was scaring him, what if worse things would happen?

"Why blankie?" Ky asked, patting the soft blanket covering his mom's belly.

"That's so your new siblings aren't cold." Donnie explained after pulling away from Raph.

Amy nuzzled the covered bump. "We drink coco, make warm."

"Now that sounds like a great idea." Mikey praised, chest bursting with happiness at seeing his family again.

"You and fafa go home and do that. Daddy and I have to pick up some stuff first."

"I go with daddy an' papa!" Amy exclaimed with wide eyes, prying away from Mikey to cling to Don's leg. Her brothers stayed glued to Mikey, each gripping a hand tightly as he stood with Raph steadying him.

"Alright princess."

"What are you picking up?" Mikey asked with a frown.

"Heat lamps and a few more hot bottles. Maybe an electric blanket if we can find one."

Mikey briefly thought about voicing his thoughts that they were over-reacting, but he understood them. Better safe than sorry. Right now he just wanted to cuddle up on the couch with his family.

"Okay..."

**_xxxxx_**

An hour later Michelangelo found himself on the couch, with two fluffy blankets covering him, and Nix and Ky pressed to his sides. Another large blanket was spread to cover all of them.

They were watching a kids show while enjoying each other's company.

Mikey looked up when Leo appeared with a tray. He was handed a cup of hot chocolate while their sons received their sippy cups.

After settling down next to Ky, Leonardo leaned over so he could wrap his arm around his mate's shoulders.

"Are you comfy? Need anything?"

"I'm feeling a little too warm to be honest." Mike admitted with a smile.

"Get used to it, honey. At least until the babies are here." Leo gently stroked the freckled cheek.

"I was afraid you'd say that."

"Why don't you take a nap?" Mikey grimaced.

"I slept like a rock for 14 hours, I'm not tired at all." The pregnant turtle mentally prepared himself already for a few long days of mother-hen Leo acting like this.

"Mommy?" Nix looked up.

"Yeah sweetie?"

"We make cookies later?"

"Aw yes, that's a good idea."

"Mikey..."

"Shell Leo, cookies aren't that much work. I'm pregnant, not-"

"I just don't want something unforeseen to happen!" Leo grit his teeth.

Nix pouted as he looked at his fafa from Mikey's other side.

"Now you're just over-reacting, Leo. I've been baking a hundred times already while I was pregnant, I think I know what I can handle."

Ky's eyes were wide as he alternated between watching his mommy and fafa. The adults were staring each other down.

"We don't know what else this drug is doing to you and our babies. The cramps only started now, who knows what else could come?"

"Bruh-dah an' sissah hurt?" Ky asked worriedly, hugging the bulge and resting his cheek on it.

Nix had an unhappy frown on his face as he watched the display.

"No baby, they're fine, don't worry." Mikey gently rubbed a hand over Ky's free cheek.

The electric green gaze locked on Leo, as the adult frowned at his mommy. It was rare to see him like this, usually only when he was about to scold Mikey, and mostly it ended with the fun being spoiled.

"Michelangelo, I'm being serious. Raph and Donnie are on my side on this. We're not taking any risks until they're born."

"This is ridiculous, _Leonardo_." Mikey said, putting emphasis on Leo's full name. He really didn't want to argue with his mate, but this was going too far. It was one thing to allow them to baby him and all; this was a whole different matter.

"I won't let you dictate my life like that. If I want to bake with my son I _will_ bake with my son!" He tried not to raise his voice in the presence of their children.

"Mommy..." Nix didn't like the tension. He nuzzled into Mikey's side, avoiding the belly. It successfully drew Mike's attention from Leo to his youngest son.

"I'm sorry honey..." Mikey soothed, craning his neck to kiss his head, his other hand still petting Ky's head. "We're gonna make cookies later, I promise."

He glanced at Leo with narrowed eyes, daring him to continue the discussion.

The older turtle kept his mouth shut for now, for the sake of their sons. He'd wait for Donatello and Raph to come back, they would back him up on this.

Of course he could just tell him about the other thing Donnie overheard the doctor say. However, that would put him through a lot more stress than anyone would be comfortable with. They had to find the right way to deliver that message, preferably when their children weren't listening.

As if they heard his mental musings, Don and Raph came home only ten minutes later.

Amy was carrying a new book with a wide grin, eagerly running to the couch to present it to her siblings.

"Look! Stars!" She exclaimed, pointing at the cover. It was a book about the constellations of this universe.

While Ky was eager to watch the pretty pictures, he didn't want to leave mommy's side. He patted the couch in front of him, scooting back so Amy could sit next to him.

Phoenix kept snuggling to Mikey, not interested in the book at the moment. He only looked up when Leo got up from the couch to help Donnie and Raph with their purchases.

"Niss, look!" Ky urged, raising to his knees to look at his brother. When he only hid his face and shook his head, Ky and Amy looked at Mikey questioningly.

Mikey frowned in concern, patting his youngest's carapace. "Don't you want to see those pretty pictures, sweetie?"

"No." Nix' voice was muffled by the blanket and Mikey's side.

The pregnant turtle blinked at this behavior. He looked at his other son and daughter with a smile.

"Why don't you show the book to fafa? I bet he'd love to see the stars."

The presence of their children would prevent his oldest mate from pulling their other two mates on his side, as a nice side effect. He could hear them talking in the kitchen, and it agitated him. There had to be something they were keeping from him.

However, he would take care of that later. Right now he had a son to console.

When Ky and Amy were gone Mikey nudged Nix until he looked up at him. It broke Michelangelo's heart to see tears in those beautiful eyes.

"My little angel, what's wrong?" When Nix only sniffed Mikey pulled him close and nuzzled the top of his head.

"I'm so sorry, sweetie. Fafa and I aren't fighting." He assured, thinking that was the problem.

He remembered hating it when Leo and Raph would have one of their infamous arguments. He could smack himself for acting like that in front of their sensitive children.

Nix had his arms around Mikey's neck now, squeezing as close as he could into the warm embrace.

"I dun' wanna new bruh-dah an' sistah!" The toddler confessed through his sobbing.

Michelangelo didn't know how to react for a few moments. Sure, he's noticed Phoenix wasn't as eager as Amy and Ky about the new siblings, but he's thought that would settle after a while.

"Honey, why don't you want them?" He found himself asking, pulling away and wiping tears from the forest-green reddened cheeks.

"Dey gonna take you 'way from me! Take my mommy time..." The boy hiccuped and rubbed at his own eyes.

"Nonono, baby, they won't take me away from you. You, Ky and Amy will always have me."

"Dun wanna share..."

"You're already sharing me with Amy and Ky, sweetie, and it works so well... It won't be any different." Mikey tried to console.

He's honestly thought they were rocking this whole parenting thing. Apparently that wasn't the case. Michelangelo's hormones tried to take over as his mind started to blame himself for not being a good enough parent.

"Amy have papa time, Ky have daddy an' fafa time. My mommy time." The toddler tried to explain. "New babies take mommy time."

Mikey sighed inwardly. At least now he knew why Nix has been so strange the past weeks.

It was no secret that the youngest stuck like glue to his mommy. He loved to help him in the kitchen especially, since it was their time alone.

While Amy shared Don's curiosity and Ky loved exercising and playing with Leo and Raph, Nix was more in Mike's line.

Grabbing his toddlers' cheeks with both hands, Mikey tilted his face up to look at him properly.

"Listen up, Phoenix. It doesn't matter how many siblings you have, you will always be my little angel, and I will _always_ have time for you. We can still cook and bake together, just you and me."

Nix sniffed, eyes hopeful. "Pwomise?"

Mikey smiled and rested his forehead against his son's in a soft nuzzle.

"Big ninja promise."

The toddler giggled as his mommy nuzzled and squeezed him exaggeratingly tight.

With a tissue from a box on the coffee table Mikey wiped his boy's beak, kissing the little face all over when he was done, making Nix laugh joyously.

"I love my clean little angel." He sing-songed.

"I love mommy!"

**_xxxxx_**

"Alright, what are you keeping from me?"

"We're just-"

"Oh no, don't even try to talk yourself out of it. I want the truth."

Mikey had entered the kitchen to see what exactly Don and Raph had gotten, and sent Ky and Amy to show the new book to Nix in the living room, now that the youngest was feeling better.

His mates had this stupid vibe around them, a vibe Michelangelo hated. He had closed the door so their children wouldn't overhear, and crossed his arms.

The looks his mates were exchanging weren't assuring at all. Mikey was prepared to argue with all of them at once, but when Don sighed and buried his face in his hands where he stood at the kitchen island his own shoulders sagged, all irritation flowing out of him.

"What?" Did he really want to know? What did they find out?

Immediately assuming the worst, he wrapped his arms around his belly, eyes filling with tears already. "What's wrong with our babies?"

The whimper kicked his mates into action. Leo and Raph guided him to the dining room table so he could sit comfortably. Donnie sat down next to him and grabbed his hands, while Raph went to fetch a prepared hot bottle to place it on his stomach.

"Nothing's wrong with them, sweetheart." Donatello assured in a gentle tone. "Calm down, deep breaths."

"You wouldn't act like this if there wasn't something bad happening." Mikey accused, voice thick with unshed tears.

"Nothing's happening yet. Nothing's set in stone, and we're already working on a solution, okay?"

"Tell me." The pregnant turtle demanded.

"The doctor said there's a chance of the uterus not opening when it's time to pass the eggs. They could be stuck inside, or really hurt you when they're forced out." Don slowly explained.

"We're trying to figure this out so you and the babies won't get hurt."

Mikey leaned back, blinking through tears and confusion. Leo squeezed his shoulder.

"Don't worry about that, baby. Donnie said he's already got a plan."

The freckled turtle swallowed thickly. "T-Then why are you acting so... so Leo-like...?"

Donnie gave a sideways smile. "Dreon also said that your plastron is too stiff. Since the eggs won't grow much more it shouldn't get to any complications, it's just gonna be uncomfortable."

Raph let out a sigh, speaking up for the first time since Mikey entered the kitchen.

"We're worried about _other_ complications that _could_ arrive. Nobody knows what else could happen." He kept his horror visions to himself. They'd have enough nightmare material already.

"Any strain could have a bad effect... we just want you and the babies to be safe and not take any unnecessary risks." Leo gently massaged Mikey's shoulder, a weight falling from his heart when his youngest mate leaned into him.

"I didn't know that..." Mikey mumbled, lowering his gaze to look down at his bulge.

"Of course you didn't, sweetheart. We didn't want to scare you... we just want you to be a little more careful, at least until they're born, alright?"

"... I promised Nix we'd make cookies. Can't you let me try at least? I promise if I start feeling bad I will stop, but I can't let him down. He's already worried I won't have time for him anymore."

"... I'm gonna sit here in the dining room, reading a magazine or something." Raphael said, giving in.

He knew Donnie would be busy with setting up the heat lamps and Amy would be eager to help. Ky would be easy distracted by exercise with Leo.

Getting an approving nod from Don, that left Leo. Mikey craned his head back to look at his oldest mate upside down. That didn't dim the effect of his puppy-dog eyes at all.

"Fine. But after lunch you're taking a nap." Michelangelo heaved a sigh but nodded obediently.

"I could use a nap too after last night." Donnie yawned. "We can lay down and cuddle up with the triplets while Leo and Raph do the dishes."

"Why are _we_ doing the dishes?" Raph asked with a raised eye ridge. Of course he and Leo would do it, with how exhausted Donnie looked and Mikey was forbidden anyways.

"You and Leo are cooking, and after Leo's last try to cook I swore I would never clean up after him again. I still have nightmares of the meatloaf." Don shuddered, lightening the mood.

"Hey..." Leo pouted, but there was amusement glinting in his eyes.

"Eh yeah, why don't we get takeout instead?" Mikey offered with a chuckle.


	17. Chapter 17

"Are you coming up for dinner?"

"Can't, I have to-"

"Let me rephrase that. Dinner's ready, so move your ass, Donnie."

Donatello rolled his eyes, but didn't move from his spot at his desk. He was hunched over a microscope and handled different liquids.

An annoyed sigh escaped him when Raph tried to take his tools from him.

"Raph, this is important."

The larger turtle was unimpressed.

"You have to stop burying yourself in work, babe. We still have more than enough time-"

"I don't even know if this will work in the end. I can't mess this up..."

Raphael sighed and cupped Don's cheek.

"You won't mess it up. You've already come up with an emergency solution, give yourself a break."

It was true. A month had passed since they heard the news about the possible complications. Don, as their family medic, had wrecked his brain until he found a solution that would work if the uterus wouldn't open.

He figured he could perform a c-section on Mikey and Kion. That was really the last resort, as Donatello really didn't want to cut up his younger mate. He'd have to go through his plastron, it would take ages to heal and would probably leave a bad scar.

His latest idea was that he could try to modify the drug to make the effects not as harmful as they would be.

"A lot could happen in two months..." Raph let another soundless sigh escape him.

If you'd asked him five years ago back in their own universe, who he thought was the calmest of them all, he would've told you without a blink of an eye that it was a tie between Leo and Donnie.

If you'd told him that he of all people would be the only sane one, he would've straight up laughed right in your face for that joke.

Since coming to this universe, no since they've become parents, he's felt things changing. Of course they all grew more protective, of Mikey and their children. That wasn't much of a change, if he was honest. However, since the poisoning it was so much worse.

Especially the recent incident was having an impact on them. Donnie, for example, was constantly in his lab trying to figure out a way to modify the drug after snatching some samples from the City Hall's secret laboratory.

Sometimes they could pry him away easier, and sometimes, like now, it was especially hard. It was kind of worse than back then. All too easily he fell back into that scheme. Just like Leo.

Their oldest mate has always been a mother hen, that hadn't changed much over the years here. He's become more relaxed, but since the incident this ugly stone cold attitude was appearing again. Instead of gentle reprimands there were more and more orders.

He wouldn't let himself be talked out of it either. Raph and Leo have had a dozen arguments about that already. Of course they had enough sense to take their arguments outside, away from their children.

Since Mikey was the main victim of Leo's attitude, they had the most... let's say _disagreements_. However, their youngest mate remembered all too well how he hated it whenever his family had an argument.

So when Leo annoyed him too much and got into his leader-tone, Mikey would just get up and leave the room. When Leo tried to follow him once, Mikey ignored him and snuggled up in the fort with their toddlers, who soaked up the extra attention like a sponge.

Michelangelo was keeping to himself mostly. With Leo's new old attitude and Don's withdrawal he focused on the children, drawing with them, reading to them, napping with them, doing everything he could to distract them and himself from the cloud looming over their family.

Raphael didn't know what to do anymore. Back then he would fight with Leo, spar with him, sometimes straight up attack him until they resolved their issues. After they got together there was the additional sexual let out, which eventually mellowed the arguments.

To be honest, back then it was usually Mikey who managed to put them all on the same page again. He probably would've done it this time too, but his own mood dragged him down, so Raph couldn't count on his youngest mate to fix this.

"We can't be prepared for everything, babe. We can only wait and try to fix whatever comes."

"What if something comes that we _can't_ fix?" Tears were pooling in those beautiful dark eyes and it broke Raphael's heart.

"Donnie..." Raph pulled his olive colored mate in his arms, letting him sob into his shoulder. He felt so helpless.

"When I worked with Telon, I read some books about pregnancies." Don mumbled into the emerald skin.

"Multiples are so rare here. No one ever had triplets. Sometimes they just die within the womb, or one of the twins dies. During passing the eggs the mother dies. And in rare cases they are born, they are really weak. Some don't even make the first year."

"Babe, Mikey had triplets and they are all fine. We-"

"And that's the reason this is happening! The mayor wouldn't give a shit about our family if we only had one kid..."

Raph was quiet. In a way, Donnie was right. They haven't heard much of the mayor during the first pregnancy. And after he heard it were triplets and they were completely healthy he showed up on their doorstep.

"... But we don't have one kid. We have three, and I'm glad about that." He couldn't even imagine what it would've done to their family if they'd lost one or two of the triplets. The fear and grief he's felt when Nix' heart didn't beat was still filling his nightmares from time to time.

"Me too..." Don sighed and pulled back from Raph's embrace, wiping at his eyes. "I just wish Voron would leave us alone..."

"We just have to manage till May. When Leo beats Voron's sorry ass we won't have to worry about him anymore." Raphael tried to provide a silver lining, like he did with Leo some weeks ago.

"And we already have a plan Z in case there are complications during birth. We all know you can do it, it's gonna be fine. Locking yourself away from your family is not the solution, love."

Donnie shook his head with a tiny smile that had Raph's heart fluttering.

"You've become quite the wise guy, Raphie."

**_xxxxx_**

Michelangelo was worried. It was becoming a normal state for him, which felt so wrong.

When he was pregnant with the triplets, he had a week of being completely horny. It was normal, it was a sign his babies were developing just fine.

The whole sixth month had passed without a single boner. With the tense atmosphere it was no wonder that no one was in the mood for some nookie. Still.

The lack of mood swings was concerning him too. Sure, he could do just fine without crying over silly things, or blowing up every six seconds. But it made it _okay_. It was assuring that everything was _fine_.

Right now he was not so sure. Yes, they checked their hearbeats every day and everything was alright. _Still_.

It wasn't like he could just distract himself from his horrible thoughts. With Leo on his weirdo trip and Don on his quest to single-handedly save their unborn babies from eventual danger, plus Raph trying to keep them all together, Mikey felt like he couldn't talk to them. He just didn't want to add to the simmering fire.

His toddlers weren't doing all too well either, only adding to his worries. While they've been "clean" for a few weeks now, even at night, Ky started wetting the bed again. Overall they slept pretty fitfully, leaving them all tired throughout the day.

Amy didn't babble as much as usual, she mostly kept to herself or cuddled up to Mikey or Raph with a picture book or her plush bunny. Nix lost his appetite. Generally all of them just lost interest in playing and clung to Mikey like life depended on it.

It was worrying on so many stages.

As if they could sense Leo's tenseness – and Mikey bet everything he had that they could – they were more or less avoiding him. It didn't add to Leo's mood, so to say. The worst part was that Mike had _no idea_ how to help any them.

However, this was going on way too long. Each member of the family was suffering, and it needed to stop.

Raph has done a great job in getting Donnie out his funk, and Mikey felt he should finally get out of his own funk, and help Leo too.

His first step was to pry himself away from his toddler so he could talk to Leo alone.

His other two mates were taking care of that. Since Don had been mostly absent the past month, the kids stuck to him like glue and were squealing with glee when he and Raph were taking them for a bath and for a bedtime-story afterwards.

Michelangelo wrapped the blanket tighter around himself, making sure his belly was covered fully before he stepped out onto the patio, where Leo was sitting on another blanket, meditating.

"You shouldn't be out here."

Mikey rolled his eyes but bit back a snarky response. It _was_ pretty chilly in the early November air. But with how heated up the inside of their house was it was a relief to feel the cooler breeze, as long as his sensitive eggs were protected.

Leo let out a sigh when he felt his mate lower himself next to him. By now he was used to that rebellious behavior. That was the whole reason he was sitting out here meditating. He thought he was doing the right thing, protecting his family. And everyone seemed to work against him.

It was hard on him, seeing his children and his mates pull away from him while he tried to do the right thing.

"Are you here to finally tell me what an ass I am?"

Mikey blinked at that, especially the way he was talking was surprising. So defeated, and the cuss word that was harmless, but hardcore in Leonardo-standards.

"No... Though you are acting like an ass lately." The freckled turtle gave a small smile to show he wasn't really meaning it.

"Is that why you're all avoiding me like the plague?"

"We're not avoiding you."

"The kids are. Even Ky flees to one of you whenever he sees me..."

Michelangelo sighed and scooted closer to Leo, putting an arm around his shoulders and nuzzling him.

"You have to admit, your recent behavior is scary." Leo grimaced, making Mikey giggle. "I mean, we're used to it, from back then. But our children don't know this side of you... They should've never have to see this side." Mike rubbed a hand over his baby bulge. "None of them should."

Leonardo wiped a hand over his eyes, and Mikey felt his heart clench. Still, this had to be done.

"I... I just don't know what to do. I don't know what Voron's plan is, how much power he _actually_ has, and without _knowing_ anything I can't _do_ anything! I don't know how to protect you!"

Mikey let Leo cry into his shoulder without saying anything, soothingly rubbing his arm and carapace.

"H-He would've guided me! He would've known what to do!"

The sobs were heart-wrenching, and Mikey felt his own eyes sting. They all missed their father, but for Leo it's always been the hardest.

"Leo..."

"I just feel so... so useless..."

"No. Leonardo Hamato, you are not useless." Mikey said sternly, despite his own tear-filled eyes. He grabbed both of Leo's cheeks and made him look at him.

"You and Raph and Donnie, you're all doing a great job protecting our family. Like you've always done and always will do."

"Then why does it feel like I'm failing?"

"Because that's what your inner bully is wanting you to feel... You've always done it. Blaming yourself. Because that's who you are. And that's what we're here for, to kick your inner bully's ass."

Leo couldn't help but let out a watery chuckle. He wiped at his own eyes again and took a few deep breaths to calm himself.

"... It would be so much easier if I knew what Voron's goal is. His motives. It's driving me crazy that I can't plan anything."

"Then why don't you find it out?"

"I'm sure he's eager to tell me of his plans..." Leo said sarcastically, busying himself by adjusting the blanket around his mate's shoulders.

"It's been a while, I don't know if you remember, but we're actually badass ninjas. I bet you and Donnie could sneak into his mansion, his private office at the city hall, anywhere you want to find out whatever you need to know."

Leo pondered over that for a few moments. "... There was nothing in his private office in city hall... but I haven't thought about his mansion..."

Mikey gave him a smug smirk, relieved that he managed to cheer his oldest mate up. Maybe he could find something that would calm his mind.

"I bet there's every information we need. And now pull yourself together, I'm supposed to be the emotional one here." Mike chuckled and wiped at his own eyes.

Leo laughed and hugged Mikey as tight as he dared, nuzzling the side of his face.

"I love you..."

"Aaaw, I love you too..." Mike smiled and enjoyed the affections. "And now come on, I bet the kids are already asleep and I kinda hoped we could cuddle together."

Leo helped Michelangelo get up. "Sounds good... and tomorrow I'm gonna sneak into Voron's mansion..."

"Shell Leo, for the rest of the week I don't want to hear anything about that anymore. We're gonna cuddle tonight, and tomorrow you're gonna spend some quality time with our kids. They need to know you didn't become a robot."

"... They really think that?" Leo asked, a tiny bit ashamed as he and Mikey walked inside and up the stairs.

"Amy was sure of it. They were planning to ambush you with water balloons."

"I offered to help them just dunk you in the hot tub." Raph's voice sounded from the bedroom, having heard the end of the conversation.

Mikey chuckled as he and Leo entered their bedroom. Raph and Don were already laying on the bed, snuggled together.

"Maybe I'm gonna play along." Leo smiled, helping Mikey to get comfortable on the bed and made sure he was properly covered up.

The four of them squeezed together best they could, kissing and nuzzling, enjoying the closeness.

Suddenly Mikey gasped.

"What? What is it? Are you hurting again?!"

A laugh escaped the pregnant turtle as he quickly shook his head. "No, not at all."

He quickly uncovered his belly, shushing his mates' protests and gestured for them to put their hands on it. "Wait a second..."

It took a few moments, but then there was it again. The slight shifting beneath his plastron. Both eggs were moving really slowly, but they could feel it.

Their babies were alive, and that was the most important part.

**_xxxxx_**

"I have to admit, I missed going all ninja like this." Donnie whispered to Leo as they carefully rounded Voron's mansion two nights later.

Leonardo gave an amused half-smile. "There's been no need to."

"And we can be glad about that." Don added. "Still."

The past two days they've spent much quality time with their family. The kids were happy that everything seemed to go back to normal.

Last night Donatello and Leo had searched the whole city hall, the secret lab and Voron's personal office there.

Unfortunately there wasn't anything new on the drug aside from the stuff they already knew. So the next step was to see if there was any more information in the mayor's mansion.

It was risky, with Voron and Asinda roaming around. But then again, it only added to the thrill they haven't felt in years. Raph and Mikey actually had been a little bit jealous.

Since the mansion was big enough, it was easy evading the mayor. It was a little surprise to see more turtles in different rooms.

"That must be some of their siblings." Donnie mused.

Of course. They didn't have any kids, why would they live all alone in that big mansion?

It took them a while to find Voron's office, and made short work of picking the lock. It was almost _too_ easy, or at least that's what they would've thought back at their own dimension. Here it was really that easy, since none of the turtles here were trained ninjas.

"Kinda suspicious that he's taking such security measures in his own home." Don commented as he picked the lock to a drawer.

"I guess he doesn't want his family to snoop around in mayor business." Leo observed the bookshelves. "Though his whole mayor business is taking place in city hall."

A click signaled Don's success in opening the drawer. Leo stepped closer to see the contents.

There was a box with a combination lock. The two turtles exchanged a look. Very suspicious indeed.

"It's only three digits."

"Maybe a birthday?"

They looked around for a planner or calendar, but the result was sobering. None of the birthdays would open the lock.

"What else could he have used...?"

"A random number?"

"Wait..." Donnie left Leo to try out a few combinations while he pulled out his shell cell, flipping through his photo gallery.

A smile appeared on his face as he skipped a few family photos he and his mates made. He found what he searched for a few moments later.

"Try 458."

Leo complied, but unfortunately it didn't work. "What's 458?"

"Hm. Oh, the prison number of the sub mentioned in the file at city hall..."

They were quiet for a moment until Leo tried out another combination, smirking when it clicked and opened.

"What did you use?" Don asked in wonder.

"Backwards. 854. Voron seems like the type." Donnie chuckled quietly at that and stepped closer so they could browse the contents together.

The file inside was thick, filled with photos of a slender turtle. Most of them were mugshots.

"Nilo. A submissive turtle, infertile." Donnie read out lout, though he kept his voice low. "... That seems to be turtle mentioned in the other file."

There were quite a few pages of reports and whatnot. The mates shared a look, when they heard voices outside the office. It didn't sound like they would enter the room, still Leo and Don grabbed the file and climbed out the window to sit on the roof to read the lengthy file without being found out.

**_xxxxx_**

"Where the shell have you been? Did you find something?"

Leo didn't even have the mind to be annoyed by Raph's overprotective hovering.

"Oh, we did find something... Is Mikey already asleep?"

"No, he wanted to wait for you."

They followed Raphael into the living room, where Mikey was sitting on the couch, swaddled in a fluffy blanket and a heat lamp warming his swollen belly.

"Shoot." Raph ordered once they all sat and the tv was turned off.

"Uhm. Yeah." Donnie took a deep breath. "Back then when we found out about the drug, there was a sub mentioned that they experimented on." He waited for Raph and Mike to nod before continuing.

"His name is Nilo. He was imprisoned years ago, only a year or two after Voron became mayor."

"Before Voron took over, the borders weren't that clearly defined." Leo took over. "The rabbits were visiting regularly, despite the tense situation. Voron hated the rabbits, but didn't have any good enough reason to cut the truce."

"Then Nilo fell in love with one of the visiting rabbits. It was scandal, but Nilo was stubborn and didn't want to give up on his love. The people were scared of interbreeding, even though I don't think it would be possible..." Don trailed off, shaking his head to get back on track.

"Voron found his excuse. He made up ridiculous tales of the rabbits being evil, that they try to breed with us, until no pure turtles were left. Horror stories of them taking over completely, and so on. Being easily influenced, the population's majority followed his lead and the rabbits were banned. There's actually been really hard border controls then."

"Nilo didn't want that, and planned to run away with his rabbit lover. At the border, the rabbit was waiting for him, but a guard caught them. Orders back then were to kill any trespassing rabbits, so the guard tried to do his duty."

"Desperate, Nilo tried to save his lover and killed the guard. According to the chief's report back then, it was an accident. But Voron saw his chance to make an example and imprisoned him for killing the guard. There were some more reports of wardens and more guards, stating Nilo lost his mind and threatened everyone that his lover would come for him, that they would take over and kill Voron and everyone involved in his capture..."

"... That was what, fifteen years ago?"

Leo nodded, a concentrated expression on his face.

"But if that's true, why did they chill up on the border controls? And even allow rabbit merchandise and all?"

"According to the reports, it was to keep the turtles calm, so they would think everything was okay." Donnie sighed. "There were some notes from Voron himself, questioning everything and going over possible solutions. He's quite paranoid, especially since nothing happened in all this years. He thinks the rabbits are planning a big ambush, trying to overrun us with how much they breed."

"So that's what his whole forced pregnancy shit is about? _Just in case_ the rabbits plan to attack some time in the future?!" Raph exclaimed, flinching when Mikey slapped his biceps with a glare.

They waited for a few seconds, but there was no toddlers whining. Since everything seemed to get better again, they started to sleep better again.

"At first, yeah." Leo agreed with a nod. "... And then we appeared. He came to the conclusion that the turtles couldn't keep up with the rabbits' reproduction system. So he planned to use us and our skills, to have good fighters to compensate the sheer numbers."

"That's ridiculous. We wouldn't just support-" Raph started, but Leo interrupted him.

"We already did. We trained the cops, and the kids back then. That's why he was so supportive of the dojo." Leo rubbed both hands over his face, shaking his head.

Don licked his lips. "And then Mikey had the triplets. We already established that that's rare for turtles. Voron saw how quickly they develop. He thinks that that propels his plans forward."

"As if we would train our children to some fighting machines..."

"Wait wait wait. That's it? That's why he's so obsessed with us?"

"Seems so..."

Raph leaned back, arms crossed. "Then I guess we don't have a problem."

Mikey frowned. "We don't? I don't know about you, but I'd rather not have my babies fight against their will."

"They won't. Absolutely nothing happened in fifteen years, why would it now? And even if the rabbits attacked, we're not obligated to fight for Voron. We would protect our friends and family, and everybody else can go to hell."

"I'm not so sure if it's that easy..." Don mimicked Mike's frown.

"No. This isn't New York." Raph stood up. "We spent our lives protecting the city for people who don't even know us. They would've burnt us alive if they ever saw us."

"Here they won't. We're just like them."

"Exactly. We're just like them. Why do we need to risk our lives, the lives of our children, to protect strangers? This might be our new home, but I won't fight for anyone but you and our children."

There was this hard gleam in Raphael's eyes. He wouldn't change his mind on this.

"We're only talking about the mere possibility of something happening." Don pacified. "I'd say, now that we know Voron's motives, we just continue our life together in peace, and make sure he stays the shell away from our family."

"I guess there'd be no harm if we kept training the cops, though." Leo spoke up. They've been slacking in that department, but with the possibility of an attack it wouldn't be bad to be prepared. "Just in case."

"Alright, I can live with that. Shell, I can't wait till you take over and we can throw Voron out."


	18. Chapter 18

Ever since finding out about Voron's big plan, the tensions in the Hamato household relaxed considerably.

They knew they had it in their hands, whatever the dear mayor's psychotic vision was. For fifteen years absolutely nothing had happened, there had to be something seriously wrong in Voron's head if he still thought someone would attack.

Leonardo felt tons lighter, though still far too heavy. The worry about Mikey and their unborn babies hung over him and his mates, and it probably wouldn't lift until Michelangelo passed the eggs and the twins hatched.

Fortunately, so far no more worrying symptoms had shown. As long as they kept the belly nice and toasty, and Mike didn't eat anything too cold, there were no cramps.

The babies seemed healthy otherwise, their hearts beat steadily like they're supposed to do. The only thing changing was what doctor Dreon had predicted.

The eggs had grown to their full size now in the eighth month, and with the stiffness of Mike's plastron, they pressed uncomfortably against it. Kion had the same problem, and Telon was quick to assure that it wouldn't hurt or accidentally break the eggs because of the fluid.

There was this constant pressure that bordered on painful, especially when they moved, but Mikey was happy to endure that because it meant they were really okay.

And boy did they move. The eggs pressed so hard against his inner belly, he felt the slight kicks and twisting through the thin shell. Through his plastron those subtle movements were sadly not easy to feel. Despite it being uncomfortable, Mikey had hoped to share this experience with his mates.

However, they were happy to feel the simple rotating, especially with their still high-strung nerves. It was quite amusing, there was barely a moment where there wasn't anyone touching his bulge.

"Mommy, papa said nap-time." Amy's voice rang out as she and her brothers entered the living room.

Ky was already yawning and climbing the couch. Mikey rolled his eyes good-naturedly.

While Leo used his renewed fire to prepare his own campaign and stuck to Voron to be up-to-date on the mayor's election plans, and Raph went back to teaching the cops, focusing on combat techniques, Donatello stayed home 24/7 to take care of the toddlers and make sure Mikey was alright.

Michelangelo did surely enjoy to see Donnie acting as a housewife. The cooking could use some work, but he appreciated the effort.

He could hear him work in the kitchen, cleaning up after the mess he made for lunch.

He sighed as he continued pacing and rubbing his belly. "In a few minutes, sweetie. Your siblings are quite restless today."

The triplets were all standing on the cushions now, holding onto the back of the couch and watching their mother pace with cute pouts on their little faces. Mikey couldn't help but laugh.

The kids have grown so used to him napping with them, Mike was actually worried that they wouldn't go back to sleeping alone after he gave birth.

He gave up trying to soothe the eggs and sat down on the couch with a wince at the slight twinge of pain. He settled back against the cushions with a blanket, smiling when his toddlers snuggled up to him immediately.

Ky nuzzled his belly, giggling when he felt the mad shifting against his cheek.

"Dey okay?" Nix asked timidly, his little hands resting on the swell. In the two months after their talk, he's got quite used to the idea of more siblings. It was a heartwarming sight, him acting like that towards them.

"Yes, angelcakes. They're okay. They're just not tired enough to sleep yet." Mikey explained.

Amy gasped. "We tell story!"

Mikey grinned at the sweet idea and rubbed a hand over his daughter's head.

"That's a great idea. I bet they'd love that."

And so the toddlers launched into their own version of Cinderella, each telling a small part of the story before switching. They grew more tired, yawning frequently until they just nestled close to their warm mother.

Giving a yawn of his own, Mikey finished the tale for his children.

A gentle kiss on the crown of his head brought him out of his way to dreamland. Careful, as to not disturb the slumbering children, an olive green hand wandered down to rub soothingly over the baby bulge.

Mikey smiled at the caress and purred, tilting his head to the side so Donnie's chin could rest comfortably on his shoulder as he leaned over the back of the couch.

The voices of their siblings hadn't done much to calm the twins down, so the movement was easy to feel.

"I love this..." The genius whispered, heart jumping at the shifting under his palm. He nuzzled the side of Mike's face.

"... You know, you could develop a drug so that you can get pregnant next."

Donatello blinked, pulling back to frown at his younger mate.

"Have you lost your mind?"

Mikey laughed quietly. "You said you love the feeling of them shifting around. If you were pregnant yourself you could feel it even better."

"..." Don was silent for a while, not really knowing how to react. Was Mikey serious?

"Eh, no drug could create the necessary organs."

"... But you'd like to, right?"

"Sweetheart, what is this all about?"

"Can't you just answer the question?"

"I... I don't know. I mean, I thought about it, but since it's not possible I didn't really..."

Mikey looked at Donnie's face. The genius met his gaze and shrugged.

"I'm glad with how it is. And seriously, when I look back to the triplet's birth, I'm double glad."

He chuckled when the pregnant turtle playfully slapped his hand.

"You're gonna tell me why you were asking?" Mikey yawned and shrugged.

"I just really like imagining you as the housewife." The pregnant turtle grinned. "You know, with the cooking and cleaning, maybe a cute frilly apron..."

Donnie blinked, while Mikey giggled at his dumbfounded expression.

"Alright, time for your nap. You're clearly starting to hallucinate from exhaustion."

**_xxxxx_**

A few days later, in a prison across the city, an alarm blared. It took the prison warden a while to get there, even though he was using full speed.

The alarm was coming from his high security section, and his brain was about to explode with anxiety. He knew something like this would happen. Why would anything good happen? To him of all people?

As he's feared, the cell was open, the lock apparently having been picked. He was gone.

"Fuck..." The warden cursed.

"He's nowhere in here, we searched everything." A guard reported. The warden nodded, rubbing his temples.

"Take some more guards, search the streets. We have to find him or Voron is going to kill us."

**_xxxxx_**

Meanwhile Raphael was closing up the dojo, about to lock the door. It had been a successful day in his opinion, he couldn't deny that he loved getting this kind of exercise again after months of barely doing anything aside from playing with his kids.

It was quite dark already, and chilly. Raph wanted to get home to his family as soon as possible now, cuddle up with them under warm blankets and maybe read a bedtime story to the triplets.

Running footsteps made Raphael turn around, frowning at the sight of a rather skinny turtle on the verge of collapsing where he stood. He seemed really underfed, and exhausted, dirty.

From the distant Raph could hear more footsteps. The turtle – a sub from the looks of it – tried to continue running, but it was clear he couldn't go on anymore.

"What are ya running from?" He found himself asking, startling the smaller, but older turtle.

"P-Please... I can't go back..." In the light of the streetlamp Raph could see the tear-tracks on that haggard face.

The pursuers weren't visible yet, but Raph assumed it were rapists probably.

Liking the prospect of getting some _real_ exercise, he cracked his knuckles.

"Don't worry, I'm gonna take care of them."

The other turtle shook his head and took a step closer to Raph.

"You can't fight them, they're gonna lock you away too!"

Lock away? His green eyes blinked as he worked out the meaning behind this.

"Wait a sec. Are you running from the cops?"

The other turtle didn't answer, just tried to wipe the tears that streamed ceaselessly down his haggard face.

Leo would surely scold him for this. But he couldn't just let this turtle fend for himself. What could a weak little someone like him have done? Probably trying to steal food. Nothing that would get him to deserve being locked away.

Raph unlocked the door again and gestured for the other turtle to come inside. "Quick, they're coming."

The shorter one almost stumbled over his own feet as he hurried to comply. From the window they watched some sort of special cops run by. As soon as they were out of sight again, Raph turned around to fixate the other turtle.

"Ya should stay the night here, being alone on the empty streets makes ya a too easy target."

Dark eyes blinked.

"Upstairs is an apartment, there's some canned food. Take a shower. You're about the same size as my mate, there should be a spare jacket too you can use. I suggest ya leave through that window tomorrow and stay within the crowd, blend in."

"Why are you helping me...?"

That was actually a pretty good question. And it would be really nice to have a plausible answer to it. The muscular turtle shrugged.

"Dunno. I guess because I know how it is. To have to hide and run."

The guarded posture relaxed a little. Apparently he found Raph's answer to be sincere.

"Thank you..."

Raphael waved him off. "Don't mention it... Like, never. My other mate probably wouldn't approve." He cleared his throat, going to the door. He didn't have much time to stay and really think it over. He had to pick up the bracelets for the triplets' birthday in a few days before the shop closed for the day.

He was just hoping he didn't just do something terribly wrong because he helped that turtle...

**_xxxxx_**

"What do you mean _'he's gone'_?!"

"He picked the lock, sir, it's-"

"You have to be kidding me! He can't pick a lock with bare hands!"

Voron paced his employee's office, debating if he could fire the warden for his incompetence.

"Mayor, we searched the whole prison, and the streets. He's nowhere to be found."

"He's starved! He couldn't have come away on his own!" The warden didn't speak, not knowing what to say with Voron so pissed.

"W-We're still searching for him... there's just no t-trace of him."

"This is impossible! He can't just vanish! Not in his condition!"

Suddenly Voron stopped his pacing.

"What if he had help?"

"Sir?"

"What if those blasted rabbits helped him get out?!"

"Someone would've noticed rabbits running around. They couldn't have come into my prison unseen." The warden tried to intervene, quite unsure of what to make of Voron's insane expression.

"Nobody saw that blasted sub flee either!" The warden winced at the jab.

"No, I'm sure they helped him. Their ally. He's with them... They're gonna attack!"

"Uhm..."

"They're probably hiding somewhere in the city... you're right, there's no way they could just walk the streets without being seen..."

Despite thinking the mayor completely lost his mind, the warden really didn't want to lose his job.

"Mayor Voron, please let me and my guards-"

"Your guards are good for nothing!"

Voron rubbed at his chin, walking over to the window.

**_xxxxx_**

"No, I know just the right turtles for the job..."

"I still think you're completely over-reacting."

"Hey, just because your nausea is finally gone we won't ease up on the precautions."

Kion rolled his eyes good-naturedly, letting Bogen add another hot bottle to the nest of unbearable heat.

A week ago his horrible nausea finally went away completely. After having been copped up in his house for so long he yearned for a little scenery change. But anything other than visiting Mikey and his family was not on the over-protective okay-list.

"Seriously, I'm starting to believe that the heat is making them hyper-active." Mikey said with a frown from his place next to Kion, rubbing at his belly.

"Oh yes! I swear, he or she is moving around like crazy!" His tender smile betrayed his irritated tone as he looked down at his own bulge.

With all other problems and symptoms, finding out the gender beforehand was the last thing on his mind. Not that it was possible at this point of the pregnancy.

"Yeah, the twins too..." Mikey blinked a few times before groaning and entangling himself from the blankets. At Leo's instant hovering he chuckled, holding out his hands to have Leo help him up.

"Chill, I just have to pee again."

Kion laughed, knowing the feeling.

"Last night he went for the bathroom like twice an hour." Donnie chuckled behind his hand.

"Good thing our walls are so thick, or the kids would've learned a few horrible curses." The proud grin didn't quite fit his tone.

"Just wait until they start pre-school... My mom was shocked at my new vocabulary." Telon laughed.

"We're going to home-school them." Leo commented dryly as he helped Mikey get comfortable on the couch again.

The midnight blue eyes narrowed, about to scold when his pregnant mate refused to take the blanket.

"They _just_ settled down." Mikey said quietly, as if speaking louder would disturb the eggs. "If we go with the heat-equals-activity theory, I really don't want to over-heat them."

From the baby monitor on the coffee table they heard their children laugh as they played in the triplets' playroom, enjoying their time together.

A shell cell ringing disturbed the comfortable atmosphere. Leo grabbed his phone with a frown.

"It's Voron..."

"What the shell? You had your weekly meeting just yesterday. What could he want?"

"Only one way to find out..." Leo said, answering the call and putting the phone on speaker.

"Hello?"

_"Leonardo! I need your help! They took her!"_

The turtles exchanged frowns at the frantic voice of their mayor.

"Who took who?"

_"Asinda! Those horrible rabbits took her! I knew that they would strike one day, and I was right! But that they would go that far..."_ Mikey, having grown fond of the female over the last weeks, put a hand over his mouth with his eyes widened in worry.

"Wait, how do you know it was them? Are you sure they kidnapped her?"

_"It has to be them! There's no other one capable!"_

There was a second of silence.

_"They took some other turtles too."_

Leo's eye-ridges raised in surprise at the news. His mates shrugged as he met their gazes.

"Why don't you call the cops then? This seems like a serious kidnapping case and I'm sure-"

_"They won't be able to find them!"_ Voron interrupted him. _"Nobody knows where their hideout is, and who knows what else they're capable of! I need you and your mates' special skills!"_

Bogen crossed his arms, a very deep frown on his face as he shook his head. Leo's eyes narrowed at that.

"Voron, we can't leave Mikey alone with the kids in his current state."

An exaggerated sniffle was audible over the speaker. _"I'm so scared for her safety... I bet they're already planning a bigger ambush! What if your family is the next target?"_

As the mayor babbled on, Leo shook his head, muting the phone so the other turtle couldn't hear them.

"You have to go. I don't want Asinda to get hurt." Mikey finally said.

"Sweetheart, we don't even know if he's telling the truth."

"And I don't recall hearing about any missing turtles." Bogen stated. "We were only told to keep an eye out for a prisoner that escaped two nights ago."

Raph winced at hearing that, hiding it by clearing his throat. He was pretty sure the sub he helped was that prisoner.

"We would've noticed a group of rabbits running on the streets for sure."

"But who else would kidnap a few turtles. And for what reason?"

It was quiet for a few moments aside from the kids babbling and Voron's heroic monologue.

"Maybe the rabbits know of ninjutsu. Just because the _turtles_ here don't know, maybe the other races do." Donnie mused, crossing his arms. "I mean, if we assume he's telling the truth."

"Guys, please. I don't want her to get hurt or worse just because we don't trust Voron." Mikey practically begged, rubbing his belly with both hands now to calm the twins as they reacted to his nervousness. "You _have_ to help!"

Leo, Raph and Donnie looked at each other until the eldest sighed and rubbed his face.

"I guess it would be alright to take a look. If there's a hideout we could try to find it."

"But if we do, we do it with style." Raph chuckled as he and Donnie left the living room.

Leonardo huffed and un-muted the phone, interrupting Voron's monologue.

"We're going to take care of it. We'll call if we find something."

The call was ended before the mayor could launch into another grateful speech.

"What the shell...?" Telon asked with a frown as Don and Raph came back, carrying a box between them.

Despite being worried for his friend's safety, Mikey couldn't help but smile as his mates opened the box and pulled out their old masks.

"... What's going on?" Kion asked, confused as to why his friends were playing dress-up now.

"Are those weapons?!" Bogen asked, eyes wide as he peeked into the box. "You _do_ know that it's illegal to own weapons without the proper education, right?"

Raph was grinning from ear to ear as he expertly spun his weapons. Since they've had to flee so suddenly and without their real ones, they had to find substitutes in the other dimensions they've visited.

"Oh believe me, we have the proper education."

"We need a plan of action first." Leo spoke up, going into full-leader mode. "Do you know of any abandoned buildings?" He asked the three native turtles.

"Abandoned? Why would someone abandon a building?" Telon asked.

Bogen rubbed at his chin. "No wait. What about the mine?"

"What mine?" Leo inquired.

"We attempted mining here in the west side of the city a few years ago. But the ground was too unstable, it was too dangerous. So we left it as it was."

The blue-banded turtle nodded.

"Well, rabbits in nature are tunnel-builders. It would be a good starting point." Donnie supplied.

"Alright. Where is that mine?"

"I'm coming with you. I'll show Voron what we cops are really capable of."

"No. We need you here. You have to keep an eye on Mikey and the kids."

Bogen shook his head. "You won't find it without my help. We closed the trail so no one would stumble across it accidentally."

"Take him with you. I will protect them." Telon said, determination in his eyes. "It's the least I can do after... well."

"If there even is something to be protected from." Kion added.

Leo hesitated, but eventually he sighed. "Fine. But I swear, if you let anything-"

"Leo, I swear on Elia's life, on the life of my unborn baby, I won't let anything happen to Mikey or the kids."

He held the midnight gaze without faltering.

Donnie leaned over to nuzzle Mikey's beak, smiling when hands played with the purple mask tails.

The pregnant turtle returned the smile, trying to take calming breaths as to not get a panic attack. The twins were upset, if the crazy moving was any indication. It cramped horribly.

"Be careful..." He said softly, chuckling when Raph and Leo joined the group hug.

"We will, promise. It's probably nothing anyways."

"Yeah, the most dangerous thing would be the mine collapsing right on our heads, anyways." Raph winced at the elbow hitting his side when Mikey paled two shades. "I was just kidding, baby. We're gonna be fine."

**_xxxxx_**

About an hour later Mikey was pacing the living room, just having finished his second call.

They've made the deal to call in every twenty minutes to give updates, so Mikey wouldn't worry his tail off.

"Will you please sit down? You're making me nervous." Kion shook his head. "I thought we agreed that they're going to be fine."

Mikey bit his lip, closing his eyes as he kept rubbing his belly to soothe the cramps. "I know... I just have this feeling..."

"I'm starting to really hate your gut feelings." Kion sighed. "Look, Bogen knows how far they can go before it's _too_ dangerous."

Telon entered the living room, coming back from checking on the children.

"I put some lullabies on, they're probably going to fall asleep soon." He announced, frowning at Mikey's slightly pained expression.

"What's wrong? Are you hurt?"

"Not... not really. Just all cramped up."

"Here, sit under the heat lamp. Maybe they've grown too cold."

Michelangelo shook his head, taking a deep breath at a particular painful twist.

"It doesn't feel like it... I think it's because I'm so worried. I just have a really bad feeling about this..."

The doorbell ringing only minutes later intensified this bad feeling. Telon rushed past the still pacing Mikey to open.

"Surprise!" A female voice carried over to the living room as Asinda and Reno pushed past a slack-jawed Telon to enter the hallway, carrying some presents.

"We know it's late, but we wanted to bring by the presents for the triplets' birthday tomorrow. Are they already asleep?"

She stopped when she noticed the three turtles staring wide-eyed at her.

"What? Did something happen? Alright, I know, Voron said I should wait until tomorrow so we could go together. I just couldn't resist, and- oh my..."

Asinda trailed off at Mikey's gasp, watching with her own eyes wide as liquid gushed down the sea-green thighs.

"Oh shell..."


	19. Chapter 19

"Do you really think someone's hiding in here?" Raph asked, critically eyeing the entrance to the mine.

Leo stood from his crouch as Donnie joined them again, just having ended his second check-in call with Mikey.

"There are poorly covered footprints leading inside."

"Rabbit footprints?"

"Could be. I see turtle prints, but there are some I've never seen before in this dimension."

Bogen crossed his arms, tilting his head. "We can go in about half a mile before the tunnel becomes too unstable."

"We shouldn't take any risks." Donnie said with a one-shouldered shrug. "Let's just tell Voron and go home. I kinda don't want the tunnel crash when we fight in there."

"I can't believe he was actually telling the truth..." Raphael shook his head. "But I agree. As much as I'd love to get some action, I'd rather get back to Mikey and the kids."

Some years ago, Leo would've thought it was impossible for his hotheaded brother to willingly step back from a fight. To see how much he's actually matured since becoming a parent... it was just heart-warming.

"Alright. I'm gonna give Voron a call and then we go home."

"I don't think so." The new voice had them all spin around. How weren't they able to pick up on being surrounded? They've become really rusty...

The three ninjas immediately fell into a defensive fighting stance, making out about seven presences around them.

"Who are you?" Leo asked calmly. In the darkness it was harder seeing the hidden shadowy figures, but they recognized a few turtle shapes and about four rabbits.

They carried several weapons, like knives and Leo was pretty sure one rabbit was carrying a katana. Someone by the side was holding a bow.

"That's none of your business. All you need to know is that you won't get to call that maniac."

While the stances were mostly sloppy, sharp midnight blue eyes could tell immediately that the rabbits were more experienced.

They wouldn't have a problem holding their own, but the bow was making Leo nervous. It was easy picking out Bogen as their weakest link, and protecting him would give them a disadvantage.

"Get inside. Now."

The risk was high that they'd be buried alive if they complied. On the other hand, if they'd wanted to kill them they would've tried already. Additionally they could finally get behind all of this.

"Alright." Leo spoke up. Best not to raise any suspicions. "We'll cooperate."

The inexperience of their attackers was even more obvious with how they didn't even tell them to leave their weapons after they stepped out of the shadows.

A white rabbit with the katana seemed to be their leader.

Bogen was frowning at the immediate giving-up, but didn't speak. He thought his friends maybe had a plan, and he wouldn't destroy it if that was the case.

It took all of Raph's willpower to not punch a smaller turtle as he was poked with butt of a knife towards the mine.

He didn't understand why turtles would work together with rabbits.

"Are there any more spies?" The white rabbit spoke up as they marched the group into the tunnel.

"We're not spies."

"You work for Voron, so forgive me for not trusting you on that one."

Well, Leo _had_ mentioned calling the mayor.

"I assume telling you we're not exactly fond of him either won't change anything?"

"Damn right. Now talk. Are there more of you?"

"No." The blue-banded turtle said as the walked through dimly lit tunnels, seeming way more sturdy than it had first appeared from the outside.

"You better be telling the truth."

Leonardo didn't bother answering as he kept memorizing the turns they took so they would find their way back later...

**_xxxxx_**

"Oh nononono!" Mikey panicked as he wrapped both of his arms around his belly, shock displayed on his face. "This isn't happening!"

Asinda rushed over to him, careful not to slip on the puddle on the floor.

"Shh, it's okay, it's okay." She tried to soothe, guiding Mikey over to Kion.

The other pregnant turtle had reacted quickly, throwing blankets and pillows on the ground to create a nest. He knelt down and assisted Asinda and Reno to lower Mikey down.

Telon took a deep breath to quell his own panic as he went into doctor mode, crouching by the improvised nest.

Seeing how absolutely terrified Reno appeared, the medic sent him to keep an eye on the children in the playroom. They've grown quiet, probably already asleep, but still. He didn't need another panicking turtle around.

"It's _not_ okay!" Mikey wailed, clutching at his belly with one arm. "It's way too early!"

"Try to breathe, I'm gonna go get my equipment." Telon said after quickly checking Mikey over.

"Asinda, put the heat lamps around him. And I need more hot bottles, I don't know how much warmth they need." He directed, already on his way out of the house to get his emergency stuff from his own home.

"I don't want to! I can't!" Mikey practically crushed Kion's hands as he struggled to get the right breathing technique. "It's _too early_!"

"Mikey, your water broke, you _have_ to." Kion insisted as Asinda kept coming and going, bringing everything Telon had demanded. "Come on, breathe with me."

"The guys..."

"Asinda will call them, just concentrate on yourself and the babies now."

Getting the hint, the female grabbed Mike's shellcell from the coffee table and pressed the purple button.

"Why aren't they answering?!" Mikey yelled after the third try of silence.

"I'm sure they're just out of reach of Don's reception points. I will continue trying." Asinda promised.

She grabbed a wet rag she brought and wiped the sweat from Mikey's face, since Kion couldn't use his hands with him cutting the circulation off.

Telon came back, pulling a cart with his equipment. Asinda squeezed the phone between her shoulder and earslit as she helped the doctor set up the portable incubator.

"Telon, they're too early!" Michelangelo wailed again, terrified for the lives of his babies.

"Yes, they are, but only three weeks. It's fine, Mikey."

The contractions were too far apart to attempt passing the eggs yet.

"Look, I'm going to check up on you, just keep breathing."

Mikey breathed along with Kion, trying to relax as Telon used oil to lube him up more and insert a speculum.

The doctor bit his lip as he examined the mouth of the uterus. The opening _was_ widening, but not as much it _should_ be at this point.

Noticing Telon's expression, Kion swallowed.

"What if-"

"Mikey, look at me." Kion ordered. "They're going to be fine. Pull yourself together now, they _need_ you to."

_They should be fully developed by now, they should be fine_, Telon told himself. He just hoped the opening would widen enough to let the eggs through without complications...

**_xxxxx_**

Donatello shifted subtly as they reached a rather large hall, lit with several lanterns. The side of his belt vibrated non-stop. Did they already pass the next twenty-minute mark? Damn, Mikey must be really worried if he kept calling that insistently.

There were more rabbits and turtles, and by the looks of it they've been here for quite some time. There were padded areas with pillows and blankets, a cooking place and so on.

At the sight of children among the crowd, Leo quickly let go of the idea of being buried alive. They wouldn't be so cruel with their families here. Anyways, their sheer numbers were a reason for concern.

"How did you find our hideout?" The white rabbit asked after scanning them all thoroughly with his black eyes.

"Logical thinking." Raph answered, rolling his eyes.

"Why would Voron send someone _now_ of all times?" A gruff looking alpha turtle spoke up.

Leo's eyes narrowed as he observed the leader. "Probably because you decided to kidnap his wife?" Judging the rabbit's reaction Leo shook his head.

"Though I guess he wasn't being honest on that part." He added carefully.

"We would never hurt innocents. Not even to get back at that bastard." The rabbit held Leo's stare.

"So you're not planning an ambush?" The katana pointed at Leonardo's throat, and Donnie and Raph got ready to attack if needed. But their leader held up his hand to stop them.

"If we did, you wouldn't be able to warn your precious mayor."

"Why would you plan an ambush if you don't want to hurt innocents?"

"If they stand in between us and Voron they're not innocent."

"Are you planning on killing him?"

The rabbits stance faltered, the misery visible in all the surrounding faces.

"We just want him to pay for what he did... for what he's still doing, what he's forcing his own people to do." The gruff turtle spoke up finally.

Leo relaxed his own stance, already piecing together the puzzle pieces.

"Believe me, we agree whole-heartedly. But killing him isn't going to solve the problem. It would only fuel the populations distrust, anger and fear towards you."

"Why should we trust you? You're on his side."

**_xxxxx_**

Telon took calming breaths himself as he checked Mikey over again. The opening was still not wide enough, but with the contractions coming every two minutes now they didn't have much choice.

Maybe, if he added plenty of lube, they could get them out without complications. Putting the oil to be warmed under the heat lamp, Telon patted Michelangelo's shell soothingly.

"Okay Mikey, you're doing great. I'm gonna add some more lube to make it easier for you and the eggs, and then you're going to try and pass them."

"I'm so gonna kill them!" Mike yelled, grateful that he didn't have to worry about his kids hearing him. "If they aren't dead _I'm_ going to kill them!"

Asinda kept calling Donatello nonstop, using her free hand to continuously wipe the sweat from Mike's face.

**_xxxxx_**

"We're not. Actually, we have our own plan to take him down."

"Yeah, exactly what I would say to save my sorry ass." The gruff alpha crossed his arms. "Usagi, I don't trust them. They're wearing the bands from The Heights."

The complete distrust could become a problem, Leo decided. He didn't quite want to mention what the dear mayor did to Mikey and Kion. If this ended badly, he didn't want them to become possible targets.

Before he could say anything, a starved looking turtle appeared next to the rabbit, putting a hand on the furred arm. Don and Leo's eyes widened as they recognized him.

"I believe them. The one with the red mask helped me escape from the guards."

Leo and Donnie were already surprised to see Nilo standing there, but to hear that Raph of all people helped him escape... At their wide-eyed stares Raphael shrugged uncomfortably.

Usagi's weapon sank completely. "This is the turtle that helped you?" At Nilo's nod he shook his head, sheathing the katana.

"If it wasn't for him, the guards would've caught me."

"You're Nilo, right?" Donnie spoke up, shifting at the vibrating against his hip. "We found your file when we broke into Voron's mansion. I'm so sorry about what you had to endure..."

Nilo shrugged, averting his gaze for a moment. "The being imprisoned part wasn't that bad... it was the experiments. I don't know why he picked me of all turtles, but I was his favorite subject."

Usagi pulled him closer for comfort.

"And after his latest drug seemed to be a success, he started starving me."

Donnie didn't want to think about what other experiments Nilo's had to endure in fifteen years.

"Don't get me wrong," Bogen spoke up. "But why escape now, and not way earlier?" He was still trying to wrap his head around what just happened. And what the heck were his friends planning to take Voron down?

"I've been held in a solitary cell for most of the time, hidden in some basement." Nilo shuddered.

Usagi rubbed the space between his eyes as if he had a headache.

"A few months ago, probably after the final experiment, he got transferred to the normal prison. It took some time to locate him and even longer to smuggle one of us into the high-security section so we could pass him a lockpick and a map."

"And then I had to wait for the right time to flee..." Nilo finished with a sigh. "Did you mean it? That you want to take Voron down?"

Leo nodded. "He... He used the drug he tested on you on our mate, and _his_ mate," He gestured towards Bogen at the last part, "without our consent."

"... What did it do...?" The haggard turtle asked quietly. He knew what effects it had on him, but just because it made someone horny they wouldn't take the mayor down.

"They got pregnant." It was Donnie who answered. "It caused a temporal heat, they got pregnant and it's not a good pregnancy. They have horrible side effects, and we're actually quite scared that something could go terribly wrong."

"And all of this, all this forced pregnancy shit, is because he's scared of you attacking. He's completely losing his mind." Raph continued.

"So I've been learning the past months, and I plan on competing against him in the coming election in May." Leonardo finished.

There were surprised murmurs going through the crowd. Even Bogen's eye-ridges were in danger of hitting the ceiling of the cave.

"They've voted for him the past three times, why would they choose you over him?"

"We plan on making his horrible schemes public. What he's doing needs to stop." Leo looked at Nilo. "And if you would confirm the torture, I'm pretty sure we can't lose."

The dark haunted eyes were already leaking tears again, but his gaze was strong as he nodded.

"How do we know you're not just going to become a second Voron?"

"You don't." Leo immediately answered. "But I plan on making this a better and safer place for _everyone_. I want to get the export and import going again, creating more jobs. I want the races to interact normally again without fear. And most importantly I want to get rid of the forced pregnancies." He counted off a few of his ideas.

They could already tell the rebels were reacting favorably to the plan, at least the majority.

Sure that the danger was over, Donnie walked a few steps off and took out his vibrating shellcell.

"Geeze Mikey, we're _fine_. No need to-" Don was interrupted by a female's voice.

_"Donatello! Grab your mates and get your freaking shells home this instant! Mikey's water broke!"_

The phone slipped from Don's hand and hit the dirty floor. He blinked a few times, processing the information with a rapidly beating heart.

He stumbled over his own feet on his way back to his mates, interrupting the conversation Leo held with the leader of the rebels.

"Guys! We have to get home! The twins are coming!"

"What?! They're too early!"

"Asinda said his water broke!"

"Wait, Asinda?!"

Panic seeped through the three ninjas as they thought about their poor mate going into labor all alone.

Ignoring everything, they started to run towards the exit.

"Wait." Usagi's voice stopped them. "You live in The Heights, right? We have a shortcut."

**_xxxxx_**

"We can't wait any longer!" Telon shouted over Mikey's grunts of pain.

He was still trying to hold them in. It just hurt so much, and to worry about his mates' lives wasn't helping at all.

Asinda's voice yelling into the phone suddenly made him chuckle bitterly as he sobbed.

"They're so dead! I'm gonna- Argh!" The next contraction practically forced him to push. Tears of pain were running down his cheeks, which Asinda was quickly wiping away again, assuring him that the guys were on their way.

The added oil actually did help, still it felt as if he was tearing ever little muscle inside.

Telon winced, helping best he could, which wasn't much.

"Ugh, I swear I'm never having a kid again!"

"Concentrate, Mikey."

"Here, bite on the rag." Asinda encouraged, rolling up the cloth and holding it for Mikey to bite.

His scream was muffled by it, his whole body tensing as he pushed past any pain, feeling the first egg move.

Telon bit his lip as it appeared, slight smears of blood on it. It wasn't a worrisome amount, still, something to keep an eye on.

He caught it with a warm wet towel, quickly cleaning it and placing it in the incubator.

Asinda and Kion soothed Mikey as Telon checked him over, hurrying to insert the speculum again, hoping to find the source of the blood quickly.

As he's expected, the opening had torn a little with the stretch of the egg.

It wasn't a deep tear, it would heal fine on its own... as long as it wouldn't get worse with the second egg.

"Alright Mikey, you're okay. Take a few deep breaths, and when the next contraction starts we'll get your second egg out."

"What about the first? Is it-"

"Michelangelo, I won't move an inch away from you until you're done." Telon said sternly.

He couldn't even begin to express how grateful and proud he was that Kion was able to keep a level head instead of panicking himself. And Asinda managed to reach the guys, which meant they were okay.

Mikey wanted to protest, but the next wave of pain had him screaming again in agony. He bit down on the rag again, wanting to get it over with quickly.

With his passage already widened from the first egg, the second slipped out easier. There was barely any blood on it, which relieved Telon greatly.

He ignored the door bursting open as he quickly cleaned the egg and put it to the first, checking them both over.

Raph, Leo and Donnie hurried to Mikey, almost slipping on the puddle that was still on the floor from earlier.

Kion moved away, Bogen helping him up and settled down on the couch again, while Asinda leaned back against the couch, still sitting on the floor.

Mikey didn't react to the pampering of his mates from his collapsed position, his muscles straining from exhaustion as he forced himself to twist and look at his eggs with tear-filled eyes.

Only when they heard both heartbeats did Mikey relax, huffing a breathless laugh as he sank into his mates' embrace.

Raph had already started cleaning him up, swallowing hard as he stopped in his tracks. "Is... is that blood?"

Telon motioned for them to hold Mikey up so he could examine the tear again.

"The uterus _did_ open, but not wide enough. It tore a little when the first egg came through." He explained as he worked. "... But it's really just a minor tear. It's going to heal fine on its own, as long as he takes it easy. And I'm talking at least three weeks of strict bedrest."

The relief was great, most of the tension disappearing.

Kion sighed.

"Oh boy, he's gonna be so happy about that." The dark turtle chuckled and rubbed a hand over his own belly, kinda already dreading his own birthing date.

Leo snorted, hugging sleeping Mikey close in a cradle as he pulled him fully on his lap.

"I don't care, he won't set a foot on the ground for three_ months_."

Don was smiling as he scooted over to the incubator, putting a hand on one of the eggs and feeling the shifting under his palm. "Yeah, we don't want him exhausting himself like last time."

Raph sighed as he hugged Donnie from behind, gently touching the second egg. He rested his chin on Don's shoulder.

"I can't believe we missed it..."

"You just should've answered the phone." Asinda said, shaking her head. "Where were you, anyways?"

Looks were exchanged as they debated whether to tell her or not.

"That's a long story..." Donatello started.

"We've been looking for ya." Raph simply said, green eyes not leaving the eggs as he frowned. There's no way he would lie for Voron's benefit anymore. Especially not after he made them miss the birthing process.

"He thought some rabbits kidnapped you."

"What? Why would he say that...?"

Footsteps made them look up at Reno, who carefully entered the living room.

"Uhm. The kids slept through everything." He said, waving. "Hey guys."

Don gave a smile, too relieved to be mad at Voron, and waved back with one hand, the other gripping Raph's when he felt him shaking with rage as he thought about the mayor.

"I don't get it." Asinda started again, shaking her head in confusion. "We had dinner before, and then Voron went to his office, so Reno and I went to see you. Why would he say that rabbits kidnapped me?"

To everyone's surprise it was Reno who snorted.

"Oh please, sis. You know how crazy he's always been about the rabbits. It's an unhealthy obsession."

"I think he needed an excuse so we would help him find their hideout." Leo said, adjusting a blanket around his younger mate's worn body. "Though I'm really starting to think he's only imagining things."

"He's batshit crazy." Reno stated, crossing his arms and shaking his head as Asinda blinked.

"Seriously, for years he's been talking about the rabbits attacking. I've been telling you, he's losing his mind."

"But why would he ask them to find a hideout? And why _now_ of all times?" The female didn't comment on Voron's apparent state of mind, knowing herself that her mate was kind of losing it.

Since the other turtles only shrugged, quite unwilling to talk about what they found out, Reno answered.

"Who knows. But he did. And his stupid paranoia is the reason the guys missed the birth of their twins."

Despite being furious at Voron, Raphael felt a great deal of satisfaction that Reno didn't think so highly of the mayor either.

Asinda sighed, appearing devastated. "I can't believe he would go that far... I mean, it's not like you wouldn't have helped him if he'd just asked..."

Leo didn't answer to that. Instead he hugged Mikey a little closer. No, they wouldn't have helped Voron. Though in a way he was glad that they found the rebels. They'd be great allies in the upcoming election.

"If he hadn't lied about you being kidnapped, Mikey wouldn't have been so stressed and worried. And the shock of seeing you alright set him off." Telon explained, getting comfortable next to his own mates.

"We were lucky there weren't any severe complications..."

"I am so sorry..." Tears were gathering in the female's eyes. "He's gonna be in so much trouble when I get home..."

"It's alright, Asinda." Leo spoke up quietly. They all knew it wasn't her fault that her mate was a douchebag.

"Just... could you make sure he won't bother us for a while? After today we'd rather not see him around..."

"Of course! I'm sure he'll want to apologize, but I swear I will keep him away from you until you're ready!" Asinda promised, eager to help out in any way she could.

Reno nodded in agreement. "We better get going now, sis. Before he really thinks you've been kidnapped."

The female stood as she nodded, still looking extremely guilty.

Raph sighed and entangled himself from Donnie.

"You're welcome to stop by for a visit tomorrow, for the triplets' birthday." He said, also standing. "Just you two, though." A weak smile tugged on the corners of his mouth at the way Asinda's whole face lit up.

Her brother gave an appreciating nod, relieved that Raph wasn't angry at them.

"I'll make sure that his sister keeps him busy for a while, we'd love to come by! Thank you!"

"No, thank _you_. For helping out." Don smiled, as he and Raph brought the siblings to the front door.

When they came back, they brought the incubator with the eggs to the blanket nest, settling down with their mates.

"They're gonna be okay, right?" Raph asked, gesturing to the incubator and resting the other hand on Mikey's covered plastron.

"Their heartbeats sound normal, they're moving the way they're supposed to. They should be developed enough to hatch, though that could take a while..."

"More than twelve hours?" Leo asked, remembering the triplets' birth.

"Usually when they come earlier, the infants take a few days to hatch." Telon said with a shrug.

"Mh, so we better keep watch so we won't miss them hatching." Donnie mused, resting his head on Leo's shoulder as he looked at the eggs.

"Did you find something? Why didn't you answer the calls?" Kion asked, a frown on his face as he rubbed his belly.

"We found rebels. Rabbits and turtles, that hate Voron and want things to change for the better." Bogen answered, leaning back on the couch.

"They're going to help us win the election." Leo added. He'd leave the details for later, right now he just wanted to cuddle up with his mates.

"But it really is a long story. A story that can wait until tomorrow morning." He yawned. "Are you sleeping here?"

"If that's okay. I'd rather not wake Elia to bundle her up for the walk home." Telon shrugged, already getting comfortable on the couch with Kion and Bogen.

"Just make sure the eggs stay warm and maybe check their heartbeats every hour or so. And if there's a problem, just wake me."


	20. Chapter 20

Sky blue eyes kept looking back and forth from the television to the incubator. The show running was doing nothing to distract Mikey.

A week. A whole week went by since he passed the eggs. And while they kept moving around, there were still no signs of them hatching. It was quite worrisome, though Telon had frequently assured them that it was fine.

During the past days Leo has kept close contact with Usagi and the rebels. Since their rabbit leader was trusting Leonardo more and more, most of the group followed his example. Some were still suspicious, but they would support him. Everything was better than to have Voron rule another five years, they guessed.

Speaking of the mayor, the Hamatos haven't heard of him all week, thanks to Asinda and Reno. It was for the better, really. With Raph still fuming over the incident there was no guarantee that Voron would leave with all his teeth in place. Even Leo was having problems controlling his rage sometimes, though he was way better at keeping it inside.

Donatello has never been the aggressive type, but even he grimaced when the mayor was mentioned. So they left the sensitive topic as it was, hoping there wouldn't be any unwanted visits anymore.

The triplets looked up from where they were playing in their pen when Don and Raph appeared, carrying their old hand-made hexagonal crib.

The emerald turtle took out the padding and shook the dust off best he could, while Donnie checked if it was still fully intact.

"What'sat?" Ky asked with curious eyes as he and his siblings scooted closer to the interesting new object.

"That's where your new siblings will stay when they're downstairs. They're gonna be too little to sit with you in your playpen." Donnie explained with a smile, satisfied that he wouldn't need to repair the crib.

They'd just need to find a replacement mobile, as they've used the old plush stars to decorate Nix' bedroom.

"We should've set it up sooner." Raph said as he came back from putting the padding to be washed.

"At least we have the nursery all done. I can't believe we put that off so long." Donnie shook his head.

"Hey, we thought we still had a few weeks."

Knowing the mood would drop at the reminder, Mikey rolled his eyes. He shifted on the couch with another mute wince to be closer to the incubator next to him.

The heat lamp warmed his hand as he touched each of the eggs carefully, smiling when there was shifting beneath his palm.

"Still nothing?" Raphael settled down next to him, also reaching out to feel the twins moving.

Mikey shook his head and leaned back against Raph's hardened chest with a sigh. He was amused though at the sight of their toddlers eagerly climbing the couch after Don has let them out of their playpen.

The genius settled down on the opposite side of the incubator, smiling.

"Technically it could be two more weeks. You know, since they were _three_ weeks early."

"Two more weeks? That's gonna be an eternity..." Mikey pouted.

"We should enjoy the peaceful nights as long as we can... Remember when these little rascals were just a few weeks old?" Donnie chuckled as he tickled Nix' feet.

The toddler squirmed away with a giggle, but quickly resumed watching over his younger siblings in the incubator.

"How could we forget waking up four times a night?" Ky let out a delighted squeal when Leo showed up, leaning against the back of the couch with a soft grin on his face.

"Fafa!"

The eldest of the triplets purred when his father rubbed a hand over his head. Apparently his meeting with the rebels was over for today.

"Hey champ." He greeted back, also giving his other two toddler attention before settling down next to Donnie.

"I also remember losing our last nerves with Nix' crying."

There was a round of chuckles from the adults, while said little turtle gave an offended pout, even though he had no idea what exactly his parents were talking about.

"Imma big boy... I don' cry." He said sternly, folding his chubby arms and frowning.

Judging by Donnie's laughter it looked just as cute as Mike and Raph imagined.

"There. Your son, one hundred percent." Donatello giggled as he leaned back against his older mate, who tilted his head with a frown.

"Nah, I don't make faces like that. That's more Raph's expression."

"Seriously, it could be any of you two."

Now with both Raph and Leo frowning and pouting, and Nix looking exactly like a miniature mixture of them, Mikey laughed too.

Getting upset, Nix turned to pout at his mother.

"Mommy! Don' laugh... Imma big boy!"

Mikey bit his lip to keep from laughing more, and instead cuddled his youngest son close, who soaked up the attention like a sponge.

"I know, angelcakes, you're my big boy _now_. But when you were really little, you always wanted me to hold you and cried when anyone else tried." He explained with a fond smile. "You were giving everyone a hard time. Kinda like your daddy."

Nix shrugged, hugging Mikey as tight as he could. "I love mommy." Was his simple statement.

The freckled turtle only chuckled when Raph flicked his forehead with a deadpan expression.

"Papa, I was crying too?" Amy asked, her wide mahagony eyes fixing on her beloved Papa.

"Yes sweetie, all babies cry. They can't talk yet, so they cry when they're hungry, or need a fresh diaper, or want attention..." Donnie counted off.

"But you weren't as picky as Nix. You mostly wanted to be held so you could explore your surroundings better."

Leo smiled at the reminder and nodded. "Really really curious, like your Papa. Though you didn't like strangers."

"Like Fafa." Don added with amusement.

"And I?" Ky also looked at Don for answer, but it was Raph who gave it with a grin.

"You basically liked everyone. Just like your mommy you have that sweet sunshine smile that draws everyone in."

Giving a giggle that could almost pass off as bashful, Ky cuddled against Raph and Mikey.

**_xxxxx_**

It was after lunch that their calm day ended.

The triplets had just settled down by Mikey on the couch to take their nap when the doorbell rang.

Frowning, Mikey and Leo exchanged a frown. Who could that be? Kion was on strict bedrest until he passed the eggs, and Elia was taking a nap herself after lunchtime, so it wouldn't be Bogen or Telon.

Since Raphael and Donatello were taking care of the dishes, the forest-green turtle went to open the door.

In front of it he met Raph, a dishtowel hung over one muscular shoulder and his face pretty unhappy. He probably came to the same conclusion.

And indeed, as they opened the door Voron was standing there, looking so horribly fake sorry that it made Raph sick.

"Hello, Raphael, Leonardo. Can I come in? I really need to talk to all of you..."

Knowing his hotheaded mate was about a second away from jumping at the mayor, Leo squeezed the emerald tail to keep him in line.

He was livid too, but beating up the head of this city wouldn't elevate their chances to take over in May.

"Actually the triplets were about to take a nap. And Mikey needs to rest. The birth did quite a number on him." Leo said calmly, his other hand having a tight grip on the door-handle.

"That's what I wanted to talk about... I... I'm really sorry that you missed it. Asinda never told me that she'd planned on visiting you after dinner, and I sometimes over-react when I worry about her."

"No shit." Raph rudely stated, glaring at his mate when Leo gave his tail a hard pinch.

"Have the twins hatched yet? Asinda said they were alright, but-"

"They haven't. And it's probably going to take some more weeks. You know, since they came prematurely."

It was quite impossible for Voron to _not_ sense the hostility. Still he soldiered on, his own stubborn streak coming to light.

"I'm trying to apologize for that. Look, there's been trouble with rabbits years ago, and I just _know_ they're gonna be a problem some way or another. I guess I was just scared for my wife's safety, and I think that you could relate if you imagined Donatello or Michelangelo in her place."

"But it's not them in her place, nothing has happened to Asinda, and there are no hidden rabbit burrows."

"It's impossible to say that for sure if there hasn't been a throughout search-"

Raph's attention diverted when Don leaned against the wall next to him to listen in, out of sight of the mayor.

The genius shook his head at Voron's speech. Seriously. He came to apologize for making them miss the birth of their children, at least that was his pretense. Of course he'd want to talk about his rabbit problem, it was probably the main reason he even came over.

"Like we said before, _mayor_," Raph thought his tongue would burn away with how much poison he laid in the title, "Mikey needs rest, and until he's given the all clear he won't see any visitors."

"... We could at least talk about the impending danger. I'm sure there is a hideout from where they're planning an ambush. We need-"

"That's something we can talk about with the whole council, and figure something out there. We're not talking potential battle strategies in our house, with our children just sleeping next door."

Voron realized they wouldn't budge, feeling anger starting to bubble up at their unwillingness to cooperate.

"The council is stupid. They wouldn't approve of a battle plan against the rabbits if there's no proof of their planned ambush!" His dark eyes were glinting with something dangerous and Raph just waited for him to make the wrong move so he had an excuse to punch him.

"You have a whole police force at your beg and call, tell them to comb the-"

"These incompetent fools won't find them! I told you I need your special skills to finally find those blasted rabbits!"

"Ex-cuse me mister." The cute lisp of their daughter had Leo and Raph look down, meeting Amy and Nix who had squeezed through between their legs and were now standing there. Both had their arms crossed like they've seen their parents do a million times.

Ky had steered over to Donnie, stretching his arms to be held by his Papa as he shyly watched the scene from the hiding spot and Don's safe arms. That evil turtle scared him.

"Princess, it's rude to interrupt adults talk." Leo's protective instincts came out, he didn't want his children exposed to this crazy monster of a turtle.

"You should be napping with mommy."

"But Fafa, he's so loud!" Amy complained. Nix just kept glaring at the mayor, looking quite scary for a two-year-old.

"I know he is. He was gonna leave now anyways."

"I'm sorry for disturbing your nap." Voron was quick to say, though his eyes narrowed as they found Leo's hard expression. "But I wasn't finished yet. I _really_ need to talk to your parents."

"No." Nix simply said. "You are loud an' my baby siblings don' like loud an' evil people."

"Young man, it is quite disrespectful for a kid to talk like that towards an adult, you should-"

"No, _you_ should leave. He's right. The twins don't like loud turtles." Raph tried and failed to hide a tone of pride for his youngest son.

Voron opened his mouth to protest, but Leo cut him off beforehand.

"You came to apologize. You did. Now I kindly ask you to leave us alone so our toddlers can sleep and the twins can settle down in their eggs. Until they're hatched we won't be available for meetings of any kind."

Not waiting for a reply, Leo simply shut the door in his face, his grip on the handle white-knuckled from the sheer force to keep his cool.

They waited for a few moments, but Voron didn't knock or ring the doorbell again. Only after more minutes passed did Leo allow himself to let out a sigh.

"I seriously thought he was going to explode." Don shook his head as he led the way to the living room with Ky still in his arms.

"I'm surprised Asinda managed to keep him away for a whole week with how crazy he is for that."

Mikey opened his arms to hug Nix and Amy close when they climbed the couch again. His face was pale and worried.

"Do you think he's gonna do... _something_...?"

"Is evil?" Ky innocently asked, snuggling into Don's embrace.

"No honey, evil is not the right word. Sometimes people just imagine weird things, and their mind can't separate reality and imagination anymore. He is crazy, not evil."

Raph swallowed a mean retort, better let Donnie handle this. He didn't need his kids running around and telling everyone that their mayor was an evil monster.

Of course _he_ wouldn't mind them doing that, but knowing Leo...

"You've seen how frazzled he was. He's starting to lose it, I'm seriously not sure what he's capable of in this state." Leonardo mused, resting his head on Raph's shoulder, whose arm came up around him.

"You don't think he's patient enough to wait until they hatch to approach us again?"

"I'm afraid he caught on how we're not cooperating at all anymore. Could be he's thinking about using Asinda to convince us to be on his good side again."

"Asinda wouldn't-" Mikey started, but Don interrupted him, shifting so sleeping Ky was cradled in one arm while the other pulled Mikey closer.

"She's a good turtle, but also pretty naive. He's manipulating her. I don't think she means to, but she's unconsciously working for him, gathering information from us that Voron can't get."

Mikey looked down to where Nix and Amy were also fast asleep in his lap.

"We just have to be really careful with what we talk about when she's around. And it's not like she could convince us to leave everything and go meet up with Voron."

**_xxxxx_**

"Guys! Guys wake up!"

Leo shot in a seated position hands going to where he's used to having his old weapons stored, only to grasp empty air. He gave his sleep-muddled brain a second to adjust.

Don was grinning widely at the incubator, where one of the eggs had fallen over and was still moving like crazy.

Suddenly wide awake, Leo scooted closer, bringing a still sore Mikey with him. Raph was turning on the overhead light and hurrying out the door to get the emergency bottles they prepared every night for this case.

Leo shot up from the bed to collect the baby blankets and diapers, and at Don's plea also the bag with the doctor equipment.

In a matter of two minutes everything was set for the twins, the four adults surrounding the incubator with anxious expressions.

So far only the second egg had fallen over, the white shell cracking slightly with the movement from inside.

Mikey bit his lip in excitement, almost squealing in joy when a tiny sea-green foot crashed through the thin shell. Almost simultaneously a fist of the same color burst through the other eggshell.

It was a close race as both infants fought their way to freedom. One was squeezing its closed eyes against the light of the heatlamp once it managed to hatch completely, not crying yet but close to it. Donnie hurried to take it and check the gender and vital signs.

His smile was so wide it hurt, even as the infant – a boy – began to cry. He was healthy, legs kicking strongly as Raph hurried to fasten a diaper on him and wrapped him in a soft blanket.

He handed their son to Mikey's reaching hands. The freckled turtle had tears of joy in his eyes as he traced a finger over the little face, delighted when he found a dusting of freckles on the cheeks.

The warmth of his mother was very familiar to the infant. He was comforted by it, blinking a few times to get his eyes open.

Leo's grin split his face as midnight blue eyes were revealed, matching his' to a T. They were curious as they found Mikey's smiling face, mouth opening and closing as his little legs worked.

Raph chuckled at the display and handed Mikey a bottle so he could feed their son.

"Our little Cavansite... Welcome to the world, Cav."

Their attention was back to the incubator when the second baby managed to free itself, though it couldn't get the top of the egg off its head. It wailed in frustration and Donnie had to bite his lip to keep from laughing as he quickly took the shell away and checked their now youngest child over.

"A healthy baby girl." He announced proudly, helping Raph with the diaper and blanket before the four of them settled back against the pillows.

"Hello baby, I'm your daddy." Raph said softly as the girl blindly grabbed the offered finger, crying reducing to hiccups.

Donnie held the bottle for her, resting his head on Raph's shoulder.

"I have to admit, I've been hoping we'd have another girl." Donatello grinned, especially when their daughter's eyes blinked open to reveal light hazel eyes, a mixture between brown and green. "Baby Aventurine."

"Me too." Raph admitted with a matching grin.

"Hey, no playing favorites." Mikey chastised, but he was also smiling.

Once the bottle was empty and their son well on the way to dreamland, he handed him over to Leo, who held the infant like it was the most precious gem in the world.

Michelangelo smiled as he looked at his daughter, the eyes of the infant closed again, though her lips still worked on the empty bottle.

"They're so perfect..." Donnie said softly, taking the bottle away by pushing it to the rest of the equipment laying on their bed. Neither of them wanted to get up at the moment.

"Yeah... totally worth the excruciating pain I've had to endure." Mikey joked, wincing as he shifted in a more comfortable position.

"And the soreness I'm still experiencing." He added, snuggling his face into Leo's hip as he settled down to get some more sleep.

He was sure his mates could handle their new family members just fine, now that they were both slumbering soundly.

**_xxxxx_**

Or not. Every hour one of them would wake up and cry, waking the other and launching into a duet of wails.

This was the fourth night in a row none of the adults got to sleep soundly. Not even Mikey managed to calm them down, and all their nerves were frayed.

"Come on, you're not hungry, your diaper is dry, your blanket is warm, what do you _want_?" Raph begged as he cradled Ava.

"Shh, no no, you're not going to cry again, you're fine..." Leo soothed Cav, the infant was whimpering as his big eyes were fixated on his father's face and he sucked on a pacifier.

Donnie rubbed both hands over his tired face as he sat on the edge of the bed. "I don't know what their problem is..." he muttered for the sixth time in the past hour.

As Raph had listed, they couldn't imagine what was wrong with them. It weren't pained cries either, and if it was only for attention they should've stopped when picked up.

The daylight was announcing the start of the day, and sure enough the toddlers were whining over the baby monitor for their parents to let them out of their beds. As if the twins weren't enough, the triplets were a lot of work too.

They've been really excited the first time seeing their new siblings, cooing at them and talking to them about how much they were gonna play.

However, as soon as the wailing started each of them quickly had enough of them as they mostly covered their earholes to block out the deafening cries.

While they've been assured that would stop eventually, they didn't dare come very close again, only brave enough to do so when the twins were in one of their sleeping hours.

Mikey was already moving to take care of the toddlers, but before he could as much as push the blanket off Raph had placed Ava in his arms and practically fled the room to tend to the triplets.

Seizing the chance to get a break from all the crying, Don hurried after the alpha turtle to help him, muttering something that sounded like "You're still on bedrest." towards Mikey before he also took off.

The girl whined and squirmed, though she stopped crying when Mikey wrapped her tighter in the blanket and started to rock her gently. "See, it's not so bad. I know the world is scary, but you don't have to be afraid."

Aventurine snuggled her face closer to Mikey, cooing now instead of wailing.

"What did you do?" Leo asked with tired eyes.

Careful, as to not startle their daughter, Mikey leaned back against the pillows and yawned. He shrugged one shoulder.

"Dunno. Just pulled the blanket tighter... No idea how that's comfortable, she barely can move her limbs."

Leo looked down at his son, and desperate as he was also adjusted the blanket so it was really tight.

Cav relaxed in his arms then, eyes blinking as he gave a cute little yawn.

"I don't know why, but it works..."

Using all his stealth, Leonardo settled back down on the bed next to Mikey, and the smaller turtle used the opportunity to rest his head on the forest-green shoulder.

"I don't even care as long as they're quiet for a while." Michelangelo yawned again.

They both looked up when Donnie carefully peeked into the bedroom.

"... And here I thought something happened." The genius whispered, eyes fixed on the infants as he tip-toed over to the bed. "They look content."

"No thanks to you." Mikey stuck out his tongue, feeling quite snappy with how exhausted and sore he _still_ was. "Here, can you put her to bed? I'll try to take a nap now."

"That sounds wonderful, actually." Leo agreed, also getting up to put Cavansite in the crib they've moved into the bedroom.

However, as soon as Aventurine was in Donnie's arms she stirred, fussing in the hold and starting to whine unhappily after another moment.

Cav also wasn't happy when he was put down, joining his sister in voicing his dissatisfaction. It prompted Leo to take him again.

"I'm tempted to cry along with them..." Mikey grouched, sitting up against the pillows again with a wince and holding out his arms.

"Go try to get some sleep, sweetheart." Don said gently as he bounced Ava to calm her. "I don't want a repeat of two years ago."

"This isn't like it was with Nix. She only calmed down when I wrapped her up like a burrito." Mikey insisted, gesturing for the genius to hand him the girl.

As soon as she was cradled by her mother's warm arms she snuggled her face into his plastron again, cooing with her eyes closed.

Cav was also calming down as long as Leo had him in his arms.

"Maybe they like _your_ warmth." Don mused, eyeing Leo with Cavansite as he sat next to Mikey again.

"And with how you wrapped them in their blankets, it's like it was in the eggs. Tight space and body warmth."

"Great, so we are on baby-sleep-duty, and when they're awake you and Raph are gonna take care of them." Mikey pouted down at his daughter, though a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth when the girl's lips moved as if she was sucking on a bottle in her slumber.

"The triplets were never like that." Leo said quietly, leaning back on the pillows and smiling when Mikey's head landed on his shoulder again.

Don mimicked the soft expression and adjusted the blankets around them.

"There are human infants that were born prematurely and cry a lot. I've once seen a documentary where they put them in a bucket filled with body temperature water. It creates a feeling for them that reminds them of being in the womb, and they calm down because of the familiarity."

"It's gonna be quite strenuous to hold them 24/7..."

"Actually I think they were mostly cranky because they didn't get much sleep, because they were scared of this new environment." Don's voice grew even quieter when he noticed Mikey's already fallen asleep.

"I have high hopes that they're gonna be calmer once they had a few good hours of sleep."

"Mhm..." Amusement glinted in Donatello's eyes as Leo's own lids dropped as he too succumbed to sleep.

"The tots were scared something happened to their siblings because it was so quiet suddenly." Raph chuckled, startling Donnie.

The genius happily accepted a cup of coffee from his mate as he stood, delighted when Raphael took a few pictures of that cute scene on the bed.

"I so wanna join them right now." Raph yawned, almost groaning but stopping himself as Donnie pulled him out of the bedroom.

"You were so sure we could handle more kids, the triplets just woke up and need us. Get used to it, daddy." The olive turtle laughed at his mate's suffering expression.


	21. Chapter 21

"Mommy! Avy smiled!" Ky giddily exclaimed repeatedly patting Mikey's arm that Aventurine was currently not cradled in.

"She did, yeah." Mikey chuckled at the toddler's excitement and rubbed a hand over his son's head.

"Cavy has dots, like me and mommy." Amy pointed out, gently poking Cavansite's cheek.

"They're called freckles, and they make you three look really cute." Donnie grinned as he tickled the infant's clothed feet.

Since they were really temperature sensitive, they've managed to get custom-made onesies to keep them warm. Mikey gushed over them, his still very hormonal stage pretty amusing to his mates. At least as long as he wasn't angry.

"But now it's time for your nap."

"Babies nap too?"

"As soon as daddy brings their bottles and they've eaten they're gonna take a nap too." Mikey assured Ky. Satisfied with the answer the olive toddler crawled under the blanket next to his mother along with his siblings. They were asleep within minutes.

"And as soon as they all are asleep mommy is gonna take a nap too." Donnie chuckled quietly when Mikey tried and failed to stifle a yawn.

"Shell no, I need to get back on my normal sleeping schedule."

"Aw come on, a nap a day doesn't hurt."

"When the kids are all old enough for pre-school I'm gonna get a job, and then I'm gonna be too busy for naps."

Donatello frowned at his younger mate, the information new to him.

"... When did you decide that?"

Mikey shrugged, stroking Ava's cheek with a finger, making her give a toothless grin and kick her legs.

"The first time I thought about it was shortly before _The Incident_ happened. Did you think I was gonna stay at home all my life? We finally have the opportunity to get a job and go outside after years of isolation, why would I pass that up?"

"I'm just surprised I guess... I thought you liked being at home with the children. And it's not like you can't go outside at all, like back in New York."

He glanced at the sleeping toddlers huddled under the blankets, smiling subconsciously.

"I do. But when they're going to pre-school and school it's going to be boring at home anyways. I don't really see a problem in finding something productive to do then." Mikey smiled when Aventurine laughed up at him and reaching for his face.

"No, there's no problem." Donnie quickly said, adjusting Cav in his arms and starting to bounce him a little so he wouldn't fall asleep before he's had his bottle.

He wanted to add something, but Raph entering the living room brought his attention to his older mate.

"Do you wanna feed her?" Mikey offered, but Raph shook his head and handed him the second bottle of formula.

"Can't, I'm gonna meet up with Leo and the rebels in a few. I wanna know what Voron said in today's meeting after the episode a few weeks ago..."

"As if Leo wouldn't tell us when he gets home anyways." Don chuckled at the concentrated face of the baby in his arms as he suckled on the bottle.

"They're gonna talk battle strategies, not gonna miss that." Raphael laughed as he leaned on the back of the couch between his two mates and watched the twins.

They've developed just fine in the few weeks after hatching, and they were already showing a little of their personalities.

Aventurine was a quite happy baby, like Ky had been. Then again she had episodes like Nix, when she wanted to be held by a specific parent.

Cavansite had the same curiosity as Amy's had, and he got along with each of his parents. He enjoyed his naps and didn't like being woken up.

"I kinda wish he'd finally try something..." Mikey mumbled, watching Ava eat with her eyes closed as she moved her little fingers. "It's so unsettling that he's so calm."

Indeed it was weird that Voron hadn't made a move since nearly losing it the last time they saw him. It didn't fit his personality, and that was worrying on so many levels.

"Even if he's planning something big, I won't let him get anywhere near you all."

"... Now I'm really curious how the meeting went." Donnie shook his head as he put the empty bottle aside and placed a nearby burp cloth over his shoulder.

Cav fussed a little in the upright hold, but burped quickly when Don patted his carapace. He yawned cutely and snuggled his face into his papa's plastron, already asleep when Donnie placed him in the crib under a heatlamp.

"You can go with Raph. I can-"

"You _just_ got off your bedrest, I won't leave you alone with the triplets _and_ the twins."

"Exactly. I can call you and tell you in case the rebel meeting is taking longer." Raph added, taking Ava from Mikey to make her burp and lay her next to her brother.

Mikey rolled his eyes at the over-protectiveness and tried to stifle another yawn. Donnie gave him a sideways smile, and Mikey pouted for a few seconds before giving in and laying down. He sighed and snuggled into a pillow, relaxing.

"I wanna visit Kion later." He mumbled, eyes halfway closed.

His friend had given birth some days ago, and the egg hatched just yesterday. Since they both had been on strict bedrest, they haven't met for weeks now, and Mikey wanted to see Elia's little sister Lenara.

"... I guess we can go in the late afternoon, when Leo and Raph are back to look after the kids. I'd rather not..." Donnie trailed off when he saw Mike's breathing already evened out.

"Ya gonna be fine with them?" Raph asked with a smile as he pulled a blanket over his dozing youngest mate.

Don rolled his eyes in a good-natured way.

"As long as Mike doesn't sneak away to get a job I'll be just peachy."

"... what?"

"He's just going stir-crazy, since he got pregnant we kinda smothered him. He's eager to get out and around."

Raphael tilted his head as he looked down at Mikey.

"I _guess_ he _could_ look for a part time job if he really wants to... The kids almost had a panic attack when he was gone for one night."

Donnie shook his head and laughed quietly. "He said he'd wait until they go to school. And I'd rather have him take it easy for a longer while, too." He smirked at Raph.

"I'm kinda surprised how open you are about it. I thought you'd go hardcore protective alpha boss male on him."

"Hardy har. I'm late for the meeting."

**_xxxxx_**

"Aw come on, are you serious? I wanted to visit Kion..." Mikey pouted into his phone, his other arm making sure Nix didn't fall off the kitchen island as he stirred some batter.

"_Sorry baby, the festival was pretty spontaneously planned and we gotta be on the look-out... Leo thinks Voron's speech could be important."_

"Can't _you_ come then? I can't leave Dee alone with the kids."

"_You're not going out alone either, Mikey."_

"It's just a few houses down the street, and you know very well I'm capable of taking care of myself." The freckled turtle rolled his eyes.

"_Do I gotta spell it out for ya again? Two days ago you weren't even allowed to stand up alone, and I bet you're still sore as fuck."_

"... That doesn't-"

"_No. As long as we don't know whether Voron's planning something big you're not running around alone."_

"I'm not some kid, Raph."

"_You're acting like one. Look, finish making cookies-"_

"Brownies." Mike corrected, lips still in a pout.

"_-brownies, whatever. Finish that, watch a movie with the kids and Donnie. And tomorrow we can visit Kion."_

Nix held up the spoon to Mikey's mouth, opening his own to show his mother what he was supposed to do.

The sea-green turtle grinned and tasted the batter, not minding the chocolate smearing around at his son's clumsy move.

"Fine. But you owe me. Don't come home too late."

"_Tch. Sure."_ Mikey could almost hear Raph's smirk. _"Love ya." _

"Love you too."

"I love daddy too!" Mikey laughed and ended the call, pressing his chocolaty lips to Nix' head, who giggled cutely and tried to escape.

"And daddy loves you too. Almost as much as I do."

"When are they coming back? Did they say whether they're gonna bathe them or if we should do that?" Don's voice rang out as he entered the kitchen, holding Aventurine up against his plastron.

He was gently rocking her as she whined unhappily around her pacifier.

"Meh. Voron planned some stupid festival, and wants to hold some super important speech. The guys think it could be about his election plans, either way they don't want to miss it."

Michelangelo shrugged as he poured the batter in a baking form, letting Nix use the spoon to scratch everything out.

"Huh. That's weird." Don blinked. "Why would he suddenly want a festival? You think he's announcing some stupid law?"

Ava wiggled in her Papa's grip, her pacifier falling out as her whines grew closer to cries. The genius struggled to keep her from working herself into a crying fit.

"Maybe some law that allows him to meddle even more with everyone's lives."

Mike glanced at them and put Nix down on the tiled floor, wiping the chocolate from his head with a dishtowel, kissing the forest-green forehead when it was clean.

"Why don't you go select a movie to watch before dinner? Then we're gonna eat the brownies in the living room. But psst, no telling fafa."

Nix giggled and nodded. He loved having secrets with his mommy. He made two steps, timidly eyeing his baby sister.

"Avy okay?"

"Aw, yes sweetie. She just," Don adjusted her in his arms, "missed mommy."

The crying grew more loud and pitiful. Nix' eyes were wide, and since papa said his little sister was okay he thought it was okay to flee the kitchen and the noise.

Don shook his head with a chuckle, continuing to bounce and shush his daughter, while Mikey hurried to put the brownies in the oven and wash his hands.

"Is Cav still sleeping?" he asked as he set the kitchen timer.

"He woke up on his own shortly before our little drama queen here started whining. I need to change his diaper."

"Yeah. Just leave the crying baby to me and take care of the calm one." Mike rolled his eyes and finally took Aventurine in his arms.

He held her upright, rubbing her shell through her soft onesie and rocked gently from side to side. The baby nuzzled her face into the warm shoulder, relaxing in the familiar closeness.

"Hey, it's not my fault she wants you." Donnie rolled his shoulders as he led the way back to the living room, going for the hexagonal crib, where Cavansite had a concentrated expression on his face. It relaxed suddenly, and then he was kicking his feet while Don sniffed with a grimace.

"Ugh, again?"

"Be glad he didn't wait until the diaper was gone." Mike sounded quite amused as he stood at a safe distance with Aventurine.

"Mommy." Ky patted Mikey's leg as he stood next to him. Nix and Amy were right beside him.

"Yes honey?"

"Can we go in our room? Wanna play in da ballpit."

"Sure you can. Did you already pick a movie for later?" Mike asked as he went ahead to open the gate by the stairs.

The babbling children followed him and Don couldn't help but smile despite the horrible smell he was exposed to as he changed Cav's diaper.

"If I didn't feed you myself I would've asked what you ate to poo so much." He mumbled as he cleaned his youngest.

The baby gave a toothless grin as if he understood, the midnight blue eyes sparkling as he grabbed for Donnie's face.

Fastening a new diaper on the infant, Don leaned down to kiss his forehead, chuckling at the tiny hands on his cheeks.

"All clean; now doesn't that feel better?" He lifted Cavansite up and laughed at the way the boy squeaked and giggled.

"... I think we could put up a fort down there, a toilet maybe, and they would never leave their playroom." Mikey announced his arrival.

"Better than them not going inside at all."

A shellcell ringing caught their attention at once. Cradling Cav in one arm, Don went and reached out for his phone with the other. His expression darkened considerably as he checked the caller ID.

"What? Who is it?" Mike asked, stepping closer as he started to bounce Ava again.

"... It's Voron."

The smaller turtle stopped in his tracks, frowning.

"Why would he call? I thought Raph and Leo were going to that festival anyways."

"No idea... do you think I should answer?"

A helpless shrug was the only response Mikey could give. Sighing, Don answered the call, putting it on speaker.

"Hello?"

"_Good afternoon, Donatello! How are you doing? And the twins?"_

Michelangelo rolled his eyes and sat on the couch, grabbing Aventurine's blanket to wrap her in it as he cradled her now.

"We're all good."

"_That's good to hear, indeed. Look, I wanted to ask if you could come to the festival. I'm sure Leonardo told you about it; it's going to start soon and I'd love to have my number one inventor here."_

Don couldn't believe the mayor. He almost blew a gasket last time he was here, and now he acted as if nothing had happened.

"I can't. I'm helping Mikey taking care of the kids."

"_Oh, is Raphael not there?" _Something sounded quite off in his voice.

"... He and Leonardo are on their way to the festival."

"_I didn't know he'd accompany Leonardo. Well, I can send a nanny to-"_

"Voron." Donatello interrupted the mayor with a stern voice. "We don't need a nanny, and I'm not coming to the festival. I'm staying here with Mikey and the children."

It was quiet for a while. Mikey buried his face in the crown of Ava's head, the girl snuggling closer.

"_I see. Alright, if you're sure..."_

"I am."

"_Have a nice day, Donatello..."_

The connection ended before the genius could reply.

"... That was creepy."

"Why did he want you with him so badly?" Mikey asked, shaking his head.

"How should I know? I'm gonna give Raph and Leo a call to keep a really close eye on him..."

**_xxxxx_**

"Wanna sleep in playroom!"

"Playroom, playroom!"

"You won't be sleeping down there."

"But mommy, please!"

Mikey sighed as he rubbed his temples. Bad enough that the twins had a cranky phase during the movie and dinner time, now the triplets were hellbent on sleeping in their playroom instead of their own rooms.

"What about the nice fort in Nix' room? Why don't you sleep in there again?"

He was prepared for it and largely un-moved by the triple puppy-dog eyes hitting him then. Those little rascals had caught on pretty early that Raph and especially Leo couldn't withstand that look at all. It took longer with Donnie, and by now they should know it wouldn't work at all on Mikey.

"If you're sleeping in your playroom, you're not gonna sleep. I don't need you playing the whole night and be cranky the whole next day."

"We gonna sleep! Pwomise!"

"Okay, let's make a deal. Tonight you're gonna sleep in the fort, and tomorrow night when daddy and fafa are home you can sleep in your playroom. Alright?"

The triplets exchanged looks and shrugs.

"But... two nights!"

"Fine. Tomorrow and the night after you can sleep down there. But tonight it's the fort."

Don grinned from the hallway, having heard the end of the conversation. He entered the living room, setting the two warmed bottles down on the coffee table.

"Come on, I'm gonna read you a story."

"Wit dragons!"

"No, Boo the Badger!"

The energetic children ran ahead to the stairs, waiting by the gate.

"So. Much. Energy."

"Now imagine dad when we four were little." Donnie chuckled as he handed Cav to Mikey.

The boy was prone to fall asleep before feeding time and was hell when woken up then, so he was being fed first.

While the infant suckled on the bottle, Don pressed a kiss to Mikey's head.

"Tomorrow we're taking the day off, sweetheart. Let Leo and Raph handle them; for leaving it to us today."

Mikey laughed and nodded, closing his eyes as Don left to get the triplets to bed.

Over the baby monitor he heard him read a short story, and warn them that there won't be a playroom slumber party tomorrow if they didn't sleep now.

Cavansite fell asleep with only a few sips of the formula left. Mikey yawned as he put the bottle away and Cav in the crib.

Aventurine reached for him, cooing when her mother brought her to the couch and started feeding her.

"Finally..."

Don sighed as he let himself fall on the couch minutes later. One arm came up around Mike's shoulders while the other rubbed tiredly at his own eyes.

"Cav is in dreamland and Ava is on the way there. We can either have a little fun... or we could sleep."

"Is it bad I'm more for sleeping?"

"Shell no, I'm glad I don't have to act all sexed up."

Donnie laughed quietly, nuzzling the side of Mikey's face. "Oh the joys of parenthood."

"I'm a little peeved that Leo and Raph are having fun on that festival without us. We should make them sleep in the playroom with the kids, as a sort of punishment."

"Mh, that actu... all...y..." Donnie trailed off, straightening where he sat, eyes on the dark windows that led to the garden.

"What?" Mikey frowned, also looking at the glass. It was pitch black, they couldn't see anything, especially with the light on inside.

"I... forget it, I just _thought_ I saw something. Probably just some stray animal."

Michelangelo wasn't quite convinced. He uneasily adjusted Ava in his arms, who barely stirred from enjoying her food.

"... Right... Probably."

Suddenly there was the sound of a board creaking. It sounded like it came from their porch.

Don was on his feet in less than a second, already quietly making his way towards the hallway.

"Dee..." Mikey got up, heart thumping, and put Aventurine in the crib next to her twin. He quickly put a hand on Don's arm to stop him from going after the sound.

"Stay with the twins, and keep an eye on the stairs." Don ordered quietly. He made a detour to grab a broom from the closet under the stairs before vanishing in the dark dining room.

He would've preferred his bo staff, but that was safely locked away in his lab downstairs.

Feeling uneasy, Mikey turned off the overhead light so only the dim heatlamp was on.

"Do you see anything?" He whisper-shouted.

"No." Came the answer. "But there's footprints on the porch..."

"Don't go outside..." Mikey begged, turning to grab the genius' shellcell from the coffee table to call their mates.

In mid-spin something caught his eye and he couldn't help the startled yelp that escaped him.

He slapped his hand over his mouth, gripping the back of the couch with the other.

In a flash Donatello was next to him. "What is it? Are you hurt?"

"N-No. Someone... someone's in the garden. I saw a turtle by the window."

The mahagony eyes narrowed.

"We're taking the twins upstairs, you're staying with the kids, I'm taking care of the intruder."

"Donnie..." Mikey's chest hurt with how hard his heart was beating. "He looked like... like Naroy."

"Erion and Naroy are in jail..."

"Please, let's call Leo and Raph."

"We've beat them up two times already, I can take them."

It was true, still Mikey felt it wouldn't be so easy this time. He scooped up Cav and let Donnie place Ava in his other arm.

The walk upstairs was quite uneventful.

Since the triplets were sleeping soundly in the fort on the ground, Nix' crib was empty, so that's where they put the twins.

Mikey made sure the window was tightly closed; and no one without proper training would be able to climb the outside of the house. That was a relief at least.

"Mommy?" Nix' sleepy voice reached Mike's ears. He knelt down by the entrance of the fort and smiled shakily at his son.

"Yes angelcakes, it's me. Go back to sleep."

"Cavy and Avy sleepin' wit us?"

"Yes, they're sleeping here. But they're too little to sleep in the fort, so they're laying in your crib."

Nix yawned and nodded in acknowledgment.

The sound of glass breaking made Mikey jerk.

"Whatsat sound?" Nix asked, now more alert.

"Uh... I think... Papa just dropped a glass. He can be so clumsy sometimes." Mikey gulped.

"Sweetie, you have to do me a big favor now. I need to help papa clean up the mess so you don't hurt yourself tomorrow..."

He waited for the tiny nod in the dim of the nightlight.

"I want you to lock the door when I'm gone, okay? You lock the door, and you don't open it until papa or I come and get you. No matter what you hear, you're not opening the door."

"B-But mommy... why?"

"Because there's going to be glass on the floor and I don't want you or your siblings to get hurt. Come on, I won't be gone for long."

"Pwomise?"

"Big ninja promise."

Mikey waited for the lock to click as Nix did as he's been told. Even if the toddler falls asleep again, the lock would be easily picked by his parents. The intruders would need way more time.

There was no sound from downstairs, which was not assuring at all. Not daring to call out for Donnie, Mikey slowly made his way to the stairs.

He froze when there was a hushed curse and rattling.

Two shadowy figures were at the bottom of the stairs, fiddling with the gate. Where was Donnie?!

Michelangelo wrecked his brain to think of a weapon to use. However, Don's had a weapon and... Mikey gulped. He didn't want to think about what those intruders _could_ have done to the genius.

"Just break it, who cares?!"

"Shut up!"

Mikey closed his eyes and took a deep soundless breath. Definitely sounded like Erion and Naroy. How did they find their new home? Why weren't they in jail? And what the heck happened to Don?

So many questions. But one thing the freckled turtle knew for sure; he didn't want those two brutes any closer to his children.

He hurried to Amy's room, grabbing some wooden building blocks from a box, and came back to the stairs. Using the element of surprise, he fired the blocks down at the big turtles.

There were curses as the missiles hit their faces.

Mikey slid down the railing and used the momentum to kick the intruders back.

While they were struggling to get to their feet, Mikey tried if he could see Don anywhere.

"Damn little runt..."

Mike tried to jump out of reach, but when he landed he faltered a little as the soreness flared up to a burn. In an instant one of the larger turtles was on him, pressing him into the ground.

"Missed me?" Hot breath hit his neck and side as Mikey struggled to dislodge the heavier body above him.

He was about to give a snarky response, but a rough hand on his tail made him hiss instead.

"I know I missed you. I love 'em feisty."

"Stop playing around, Naroy. We don't have all night."

"Yeah, you're right. Don't want that other prick wake up too soon and interrupt our fun."

Wake up? Did they knock him out?

Mikey tensed when he felt a hot hardness on his thigh. This wasn't happening. No.

He couldn't even scream, it would scare Nix to death. Why haven't they called Leo and Raph when they had the chance?! He was such an idiot!

A panic started to settle in his chest as Naroy shifted. He had to be strong. He had to protect his babies.

He growled, fighting harder despite the burning.

_-Thunk-_

The horrible sound made Naroy twist. His eyes widened at the sight of a furious Donatello. The genius had sneaked upon Erion and knocked him out with one of their frying pans.

Remembering their last encounter, Naroy gulped and rolled to the side, off of Mikey. He held up his hands, not so brave anymore without his companion.

"Look-"

Don pounced on the taller turtle, mercilessly pressing the handle of the pan against his throat, making breathing really difficult for Naroy.

"It's not... we..." Naroy struggled to breathe. "Rabbits..."

Eyes widening, Don lessened the pressure a little. "... What?" He asked, voice dangerously low.

"The rabbits... they..." the brute coughed. "... they p-paid us to... to k-kidnap the k-kids..."

Something snapped in Donatello. He hit the edge of the pan on Naroy's knee; something cracked. The scream was muffled with Don's hand shoving hard against the jaw.

"You have one more chance to tell the truth. Next time I'm gonna hit somewhere it _really_ hurts."

He released the jaw in favor of pressing his thumb hard to the neck.

"Talk."

"V-V-Voron!" He blurted out, desperate to save his private parts. "He got us out of jail and paid us to scare you! I have no idea why, he didn't tell us, I swear! _I swear_!"


	22. Chapter 22

"That's it? That's his whole speech?!" Raph had his arms crossed as he and Leo stood in front of the stage.

Voron had just ended his speech, just a few trivial things had been said. The attending turtles were happy there was no bad news and were enjoying the festival in front of the city hall.

Leonardo's eyes narrowed as they followed the mayor's retreat into the crowd of citizens.

"A little suspicious, isn't it...?"

"Ya bet-" Raph was interrupted by his shell cell ringing. He answered the call when he saw it was Donnie.

"Hey babe," he greeted, "the boring speech just ended, we're on our way home now."

"_Raph..."_ Don sighed at the other end of the line. _"Can you find a quiet place? I'd rather have you both hear this..."_

"What's wrong?"

"_Please..."_

"Hold on."

Worried at the strange behavior, Raph gestured for Leo to follow him. They quickly made their way away from the crowd and climbed a building. Up there and off from the festival it was quiet and secluded enough, so Raph put the phone on speaker.

"What is it, Donnie?" Leo asked now, tempted to run home as fast as possible. But if it was that urgent, Don would've told them to come home already.

The genius didn't answer at first, probably thinking about how to break the news.

"_I can't really tell you without you two freaking out beforehand, so here it goes: Voron hired our old friends Erion and Naroy to scare us. They're supposed to attack us and say that the rabbits sent them. So that we'd support his stupid craze."_

"What- Why- How do you know?!"

"_... Cause they just did. We're all okay!"_ Donatello quickly added in an exhausted tone. _"I mean, as okay as we can be..." _

Raph's grip on the shell cell tightened dangerously.

"... What? They attacked you?"

They heard Donnie shift, some rustling.

"_We've brought the triplets to bed. Then I thought I saw someone at the window, there was a creaking on the porch, so I went to investigate. There were footprints." _

The genius paused.

"_Mikey saw Naroy by the window. I brought him and the twins to the triplets, I thought I could easily take them on. But they came prepared. They had a sedative. We were lucky I've started to build up an immunity to this world's sedatives as soon as it was clear we were staying._

_Anyways, when I managed to get up again I got a pan and knocked Erion out. Naroy gave in pretty easily then and tried to tell me the rabbits sent him. After a little more... gentle persuasion... he told the truth."_

"That's it. I'm gonna kill him. Right in front of the crowd, I don't care!"

"And you're really alright? Nothing happened to the kids?"

When Don didn't answer Leo's questions right away, Raph's wild rant came to a stop as he stared at the phone, heart thumping wild.

"_Well... I got some minor cuts from the window they broke, and I'm still a little woozy from the sedative. The kids slept through it all, Mikey just went upstairs to make sure."_

"And Mikey?"

"_Look, after Naroy confessed and I knocked him out Mikey brought me something to tie them up and called Bogen. When the cops had arrested them he left for the kids immediately. It... it just happened so fast, I'm still sitting on the floor. I haven't really looked him over yet, but..."_

"But what?"

"_Naroy was laying on him when I stepped in, dick out. I... I don't think he actually did it... but I don't know for sure. Mikey seemed okay despite a little limp, but like I said, I haven't really checked him over yet." _

Since Leo and Raph didn't respond right away, Don spoke up again.

"_If I could I would come and beat up Voron myself. I really don't care anymore, guys. Who knows what they would've done if..."_ he sighed _"This has to end."_

"It will, honey. We'll come home as soon as I've talked to Voron." Leo's voice was calm, though Raph could see the rage and fire in the dark eyes.

"_Do that... I think Mikey's coming, make that asshole pay."_

When the call ended, Raph was torn between storming towards Voron to beat the shit out of him, and holding Leo back. This calm rage was quite scary.

"Fearless, what's the plan?" He asked quietly, a hand squeezing the forest-green shoulder.

"We're gonna talk to Voron." Leo simply said, starting back to the festival.

"Just talk?"

"Yes."

However, at the festival, the leader didn't go straight for Voron. Instead, he climbed the pedestal. A little wary, Raph followed him.

Some turtles realized he was about to say something, so they quieted and paid attention, the rest soon following.

"Good evening. For those who don't know me yet, my name is Leonardo. The past two years I've worked in the council, for our dear mayor Voron." He gestured towards the mayor in the crowd, who grinned at the short applause he got.

"During my time with him, I learned much about this city. And I have to say, many things have to change."

There were surprised whispers among the crowd, Voron looked unsure.

"Aren't you all sick of having your family life be steered by someone else? To be _forced_ to breed, just because the mayor has an irrational fear of rabbits." He made a short pause, satisfied by the reaction of the other turtles.

"Rabbits, that haven't done anything to us. They live in their own city, happy, and get along just fine with the other races. We are the only ones excluded from the great import and export services and business connections, because Voron is scared of them."

"Leonardo, what are you doing?!" Voron hissed when he climbed the stage. Outloud he said, with a false laugh, "This is not the right time for jokes, my friend."

Raphael stepped forward so the older turtle wouldn't try to attack his mate to make him shut up.

"I'm not joking, Voron." Leo didn't bother using a quiet voice. Everyone should be able to hear the truth.

"Isn't it true, that you imprisoned one of our own kind, just because he fell in love with a rabbit?"

"H-He killed a fellow turtle! Mating and producing an offspring with another species is-"

"-Is genetically impossible. There won't be hybrids. And you know that." Before Voron could open his mouth again, Leo continued.

"Isn't it weird, that there are no witnesses of that evening years ago? And still the poor turtle – an innocent turtle – was imprisoned. Because of an accident, he's been locked away for fifteen years... and experimented on. He's endured horrible things for years, just because Voron needed a labrat."

"If you kill someone, accident or not, you're to be arrested! That's our law! And prisoners deserve that-"

"A prisoner is still a living being! How would you feel if you were imprisoned for an accident? Would you want to be tortured forever?" Leo asked the crowd.

"If you don't break the law you won't be imprisoned!"

"With how you keep changing the law, everyone could be breaking it by just walking on the wrong side of the street!"

The shout came unexpectedly from someone in the crowd. Raph recognized him as one of the rebel turtles.

His interference encouraged others to join.

"My sister was arrested because she refused to mate!"

"My best friend was a rabbit! I was forbidden to ever see him again!"

More turtles shouted their problems, braver together now that they were not alone.

"These things shouldn't have happened." Leo announced. "Those who break the law - real laws - should be able to explain themselves. They deserve a trial, a chance to redeem themselves. And a small theft shouldn't be punished with a life-long sentence."

Cheering. Voron's sweat was visible even in the dim light of the paper lamps.

"You can't be serious! For as long as I've been the mayor, the system has worked! _This city_ works because of me!"

"I don't want more kids! My wife already had three miscarriages!"

"That's a price to pay if we want to catch up with the rabbits-"

"We don't want to catch up with the rabbits!" The crowd went louder.

"I am the mayor! Until May my word is law! And if you're not quiet at once I will send at least one turtle of each family to be exiled!"

That was it. He lost his followers. The fragile system he's been building up for the past fifteen years just broke completely.

"No, Voron." Leo spoke up again, silencing the protests.

Raph could tell immediately that his mate had already won the crowd. They've been suppressed for so long, too scared to go up against the mayor. All it took was an alternative, someone to step up for a better world for them.

"I don't think so. Our book of laws – you as mayor should know it – says that if the current mayor abuses his power to break the law, his reign ends and a new election can start."

"Oh please, as if I would do something so dumb and _abuse_-"

"Why don't we let our city decide, hm?" Voron took a step towards Leo, but one look at Raph made him stop immediately.

"What do you say?" Leonardo directed at the crowd. "If the mayor imprisons an innocent turtle just because he _can_, isn't that an abuse of power?"

The murmurs were back.

"If the mayor bribes a doctor with a promotion and a new house to _poison_ fellow turtles, isn't that abusing his power?"

Voron's eyes widened in shock. The murmurs turned to shouts of agreement, there were surprised gasps at the revelation.

"And if the mayor," Leo took a breath to keep his cool at the reminder, "frees two dangerous rapists from prison and gives them the order to attack a helpless family with babies, isn't that an abuse of power?!"

The crowd went wild, shouting profanities. Voron realized that he had lost. Nothing he could say would get him back in the population's good graces. He took a step back, struggling to find his voice.

"Y-You have no proof..." he spat towards Leonardo and Raphael.

"Ya bet we _do_ have proof." Raph smirked, satisfied that Voron was finally getting what he deserved.

"We have pictures of your drug files, and I'm sure Nilo would love to tell his city what's been done to him. He sends his regards, by the way." Leo said coldly.

The mayor's breath hitched.

"And I'm sure if we ask _really nicely_, Erion and Naroy will tell them all about your orders." Raph hit his fist in his open palm and glared at Voron, who was shrinking away more and more as he realized he was screwed.

**_xxxxx_**

Don let the phone slide to the ground as he used the railing to stand up, still a little dizzy from the sedative.

Mikey quickened his pace down the stairs to aid his mate, a limp in his step.

"I thought you said you were okay?" He scolded the genius without heat.

"I am... the sedative just needs to wear off completely." Donnie assured, glad when he was sitting down on the couch.

"Here, lay down, I'm gonna take care of your cuts." Mike pushed him in a laying position and opened the first-aid kit he's brought along.

The genius decided to let his baby brother work first while he thought about how to approach the topic.

"Did you call Leo and Raph?" Mike started a conversation himself, keeping a straight face.

"Yeah. Leo said he's going to talk to Voron and then they're coming home."

Mikey paused from cleaning the shallow cuts at the mention of the mayor, but continued rather quickly. "Okay."

"What about the children?"

"Ky, Amy and Cav slept through everything. Ava was awake but fell asleep when I gave her a pacifier and put a heatlamp over them. Nix was a little scared when he heard you shouting." He shrugged, his expression way too calm despite what happened.

"I said you tripped and hurt yourself, that's why you shouted. He promised to kiss it all better tomorrow." A ghost of a smile tugged on the corners of his mouth.

"What about... about Erion and Naroy?"

"Bogen himself came with other cops to haul them back to jail. We really need an equivalent to 911, by the way..." He gave a short hollow laugh and cleared his throat.

"He was pretty worried that they hurt us." When Mikey didn't answer, Don put his hand on the freckled cheek to make him look at him.

"Sweetheart, did he hurt you?"

"No. Not like that, I mean..." He sighed. "I think fighting them kinda reminded my body that it was still sore, even sitting hurts. But he didn't, you know..." Michelangelo finished putting band-aids on the cuts and shrugged one shoulder.

Donnie sat up and wrapped his arms around Mikey, kissing his forehead. The smaller turtle snuggled in the offered embrace, wiping at his eyes as he felt himself breaking down in the comforting closeness.

"I was scared... that they're gonna hurt our babies..." He shuddered. "I couldn't stop Naroy, they could've knocked me out too and then they would've-"

"Ssh..." Donatello hushed as he rubbed the trembling turtle's arm. "They didn't. All of our babies are just fine." he tried to calm him. "If Voron sent them to scare us, they wouldn't have touched the children. They're way too precious for him."

"I hate him so much! Why can't he leave us alone?!" Mikey now sobbed.

"I don't know baby... but Leo and Raph won't let him get away this time." Don was confident that it would end tonight. And if they killed the mayor and they had to leave the city, he didn't care. As long as they were far away from that monster.

He had no idea when their mates would come home, and their window would have to be repaired too. The cold January air seeped in through the opening. Though right now he was too exhausted to get up, and Mikey needed him.

"Come on, let's lay down together until they're back." Don spoke up when the sobbing turtle calmed down. He pulled his mate in a laying position with him, grabbing for a blanket.

Mikey sniffed and helped him adjust it so it covered both of them before snuggling to Donnie again. Soothed by the rubbing on his carapace he fell asleep rather quickly.

The olive turtle sighed in the emptiness of the living room. He wanted to stay awake until Raph and Leo were home, he was way too wired to sleep anyways...

**_xxxxx_**

"Donnie?"

The genius jerked awake at the shake of his shoulder. Realizing Raph had woken him he settled back down, pulling Mikey's still sleeping body closer.

"What time s'it?" he asked sleepily, rubbing his eyes with his free hand.

"A little after midnight." Raph whispered, the calloused hand gentle as he rubbed it over Don's head.

"Mh... the window..."

"We already took care of that, babe." Raphael smiled at the cute way Donnie leaned into the touch.

The genius' grip on Mikey tightened when someone tried to loosen it. He heard Leo's chuckle.

"Let go, it's me. The bed is comfier than the couch, don't you think?"

Blinking groggily, Don finally let go of Mikey so their leader could pick him up to carry him to bed. He yawned and began sitting up, but found himself in Raph's arms a moment later.

Instinctively his arms wrapped around the strong neck.

"How did it go with Voron...?"

"Let's just say he's not the mayor anymore."

The mahagony eyes widened, more awake now.

"What? Does that mean Leo is...?"

"Not yet. There's an official election next week, but Voron is banned from it and has to move out of his mansion within the next three days."

"How did you-"

"We're gonna tell you the whole story in the morning, honey. Did you check over Mikey? Did they..."

Donnie yawned again as he was lowered on their shared bed.

"No. He's just sorer again. I'm gonna keep an eye on that."

He wanted to know more about Voron now, but snuggled up to all his mates he found himself falling asleep easier than expected.

**_xxxxx_**

"... And as soon as Leo takes over, he's gonna have Voron arrested for what he's done."

Leo rolled his eyes, but seemed content as he fed Aventurine. Sure it would have been satisfying to just beat up the mayor, but this... this felt pretty good too.

"If I win the election, there's gonna be a fair trial."

"Oh come on," Raph waved him off, "They all were crazy for you. Nobody's gonna go up against you. And nobody's gonna show mercy on that bastard."

"Papa, what's bastard?" Don deadpanned at Raph.

"That's a bad name that you shouldn't use."

Amy wagged her finger at her dad. "Bad daddy."

"Sorry." He didn't look sorry at all.

"What about Asinda?" Mikey had a thoughtful frown on his face. Cav squealed around his empty bottle, and when Mike took it away the infant reached up to grab at the freckled face of his mother.

"She wasn't at the festival..." Leo said, gently bouncing Ava she started to fuss in his hold.

"She never did anything to hurt us..."

"Voron is the one getting punished, baby. Asinda and Reno can do whatever they want to."

"Voron is her mate..."

"After everything he's done to us, do you really want to spare him?"

Mikey shrugged before settling Cavansite up against his plastron to make him burp.

"I think we should talk to her. Explain everything."

"We will, if you want to. Like I said, it's gonna be a fair trial. And I think Asinda will understand. She wasn't happy about his rabbit craze either, and she didn't even know the bulk of what Voron did."

"We visit Asin-dah?" Ky perked up.

"Not today, champ. We gotta properly repair our window first, or it gets too cold."

Last night they've only improvised with plastic wrap, that wouldn't do for long.

"Sides, didn't you want to visit Elia and her new baby sister?"

"Actually I think we should take it easy today." Don said pointedly, remembering what Mikey said about his soreness the night before.

Mike didn't comment on that. In all honesty, he wasn't to keen on running around today either.

"Why don't we take care of the window, and when you're done daddy and fafa will take you for a walk outside?" He suggested, earning a happy gasp from the toddlers.

"Not just garden? Really outside?"

"Really outside. We need a few groceries, you can help them buy the right cereal." Don gave a sideways smile. "But first you're gonna have to tidy up your toys in the living room."

The kids hurried to do just that, eager to go grocery shopping with their parents.

"... I'm not sure you two should be alone after-"

"We're gonna be just fine. And just so you know, when you're back Mikey and I will take a few hours off. You're on baby duty."

"Yeah... a dip in the whirlpool would be heavenly." Mike chuckled as he tickled Cav's chin, making the baby laugh and kick his legs.

"Tch, ya hear that Leo? They're excluding us."

"Oh please. You had yesterday all to yourself, especially Leo with all his rebel meetings." Donnie got up to clean up the rest of their breakfast. "All we ask for is three hours."

Raph reached out to grab Don's arm and pulled him onto his lap.

"Take as long as you need, babe." He nuzzled the olive skin affectionately, making Donnie squirm and giggle in the hold.

"I still can't believe we really made it. Voron is history. Just like that."

"Do you really think he's gonna give up so easily?" Mikey asked as he rocked his youngest son, coaxing him closer to sleep.

"Shell, what can he do? He doesn't have the power of the mayor anymore."

"I don't know Raph." Leo shrugged, mimicking Mikey and rocking Ava so she'd fall asleep.

"He freaked out when he thought he'd lose control. Yesterday he was holding back because of the witness-"

"Fearless, he tried to attack you when he realized he's lost."

"And you punched him to unconsciousness before he even made two steps." Leo added, rolling his eyes. They've been lucky the crowd cheered for that.

"Ya heard the chief. Until we have a new mayor – you – he's under strict observation. There's no way he can sneak away to attack us." Raph shook his head. "And even if he tried, he'd know it would be suicide."

**_xxxxx_**

"What do you mean he's gone?"

Bogen sighed, rubbing a hand over his bald head. It was a week after the election.

As expected, Leonardo had won. His plans for the future had drawn the majority of the city in. The leader almost couldn't believe how easy it had been. It was as if the turtles here were sheep, following whoever dared to take the lead.

Voron and his family had left the mansion. Asinda had been shocked at hearing her mate's schemes. It had taken her about an hour to compose herself again, and left her mate in favor of sharing a small house in the city with Reno for the time being.

The trial of the ex-mayor had been the day before. It was no surprise that he's gonna be arrested for at least five years; and forbidden to ever even set a foot in The Heights.

"I'm sorry, Leo. We don't know how he did it, but he wasn't in his holding cell anymore when we tried to take him to jail this morning." Bogen said.

Leo massaged his temples. The election, the trial, and all the other things he's had to take care of... Voron escaping was not good on his nerves.

It wasn't good, in general.

He still had to gather a new council, and since he wasn't allowed to chose family members, it was quite hard as he barely trusted anyone.

Bogen definitely was part of it, and while Usagi couldn't because of his race, Nilo was happy to accept.

The rebels had been brought back into society without complications, the other turtles accepting them easily. All those years in hiding, just because of Voron.

"Did you check Asinda's new apartment?"

"We did, and also his brothers'. We looked at every place he used to go; nothing. There's a rumor that he's been seen at the border, in the direction of the lizards' city."

"But we aren't sure he really left, are we?"

"No... though it's quite possible. I mean, he's gonna be arrested at sight, his wife left him, there's no reason for him to stay here."

Leo nodded absentmindedly. It would fit Voron's personality to run away when things got rough.

"I don't want to risk anything, though. We're keeping the cops positioned at the border, in case he shows up again."

He wasn't too worried. Voron was an idiot, but even he wouldn't be dumb enough to run around in public. And Don had taken on a new project; to install security devices and cameras everywhere.

There were many projects ahead, but with a maniac probably running around in their city, this would have to be a priority.

"Aye aye, captain." Bogen saluted, getting a sideways smirk from Leo. "So, when's the big move?"

The new mayor stood and stretched. "I don't know yet. We're pretty happy in our current house."

"You can't just leave the mansion empty."

"We're not. We're just waiting till the twins are a few months older. At least old enough to sit up on their own." Leo smiled softly at a photo of his children on his new desk in City Hall.

**_xxxxx_**

"Are you ready?" The triplets giggled and nodded, eagerly hopping in place. Don chuckled at their enthusiasm. "Alright. One... two... three! Go!"

The toddler squealed in joy and hurried down the hall, opening every door in search of their daddy.

They've been playing hide and seek for a while now, to playfully let them explore their new big home.

Aventurine's eyes were wide as she wiggled in her mommy's arms, eager to follow her older siblings despite not even able to crawl yet. Mikey chuckled and followed the triplets to satisfy her curiosity.

Cav was content in Leo's hold, gnawing on a teething help. Don gently ran a hand over his head while his lips found his mate's for a soft kiss.

In the past three months so many things had changed for the better. The city was happy, there was no sight of Voron, everything was going the way it was supposed to.

"Think we finally get our happy ending?" The genius asked with a smile.

"We definitely deserve it." Was Leo's answer as he pulled Donnie closer, kissing him again.

They parted with a laugh when Cavansite squealed happily between them.

"Yeah, we definitely do."


End file.
